Okay, so is everyone ready to faint in surprise? I got 2 chapters out in a week! Holy crap!
The truth is that I messed up my back and I'm out of work. So I've been trying to write more instead of watching the walls because I can't do much. So as a present to all of those who reviewed, added me to their update lists, and just plain ol' read the story, this is my thanks.
Review notes are at the end.
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AN: At long last... If the title doesn't tell all then I'm not giving anything else away! Chapter 10 is currently in production so keep an eye out for it! Special thanks to Emma for looking this over and finding some of my goofs! Thanks so much girly!
Chapter 9 - Together Again
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He saw her as she entered the diner. He had forgotten how brightly her hair shown in the sunlight. It had only been a few months and it felt like he hadn't seen her in years. A part of him wished that he could run from his hiding place and grab her into an encompassing hug while another part of him wanted to run away in fear of what might happen when she finally saw him again.
Shalimar turned and Brennan could see that she was scouting the street. He was pretty sure that she knew he was there and what direction, but was almost positive she couldn't see him. The shadows falling on the building were ideal for him to look out unseen while seeing all that the area had to offer.
Did she still sense him like she used to? His mind thought back to that conversation and the events that happened with Nicki briefly. He had sided with Shalimar because he was weary of Nicki. It happened that his hunch was right. He had felt stupid not to follow his gut instinct at the time. He had listened to everyone else and tried to believe in her. Then they found out she wanted to kill Shalimar… He had never been more thankful for Shalimar's strength. He'd wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly that evening. He still remembered the way her hair smelled.
Lexa's voice on the radio cut through his thoughts. "Jesse she's here. Do you see anyone else sparky?"
A quick glance up and down the street ensured that no one had snuck past his guard. He murmured his negative and continued to keep watch. If all went well they were all going to meet at the warehouse in half an hour. Brennan and Lexa would bring up the rear with Jesse leading Shalimar to their temporary abode.
So far all looked clear, but he knew that looks could be deceiving so he kept a sharp eye out for anything that looked suspicious while he debated over what might happen when he finally met the blond beauty once more.
Pulling the door open Shalimar scanned the diner to identify the patrons and any changes that had been made since the last time she was here. It had been over a year but the set-up remained the same as ever. She hadn't been here in a long time and it bore some pleasant and unpleasant memories at the same time.
Over the din of the late lunch rush she saw a man seated in the back sporting a tan baseball cap. As she entered his azure eyes met hers. A smile crept across her mouth and she walked to the back booth to meet him. As she came close he bowed his head but stood and surrounded her form in a tight embrace. She returned it in equal fervor.
His murmured words of missing her were caught only because of her feral hearing. She kissed him soundly on the cheek and then allowed him to seat her across from him. The emotions flowed between them without need for words. After living together for so long sometimes words just got in the way. She could read his anxiety and caution, but she could as easily see his happiness and cheerful disposition.
She did a quick once over of him and noticed that he had lost some weight and his hair was slightly longer then he had let it been. The tan that stretched over his skin only served to amplify the blue in his eyes. He didn't look bad, but just slightly worn.
"I ordered you a coffee." He said looking around again. "I hope that's alright?"
"It's fine." She said and felt her smile widen. "I'm surprised you didn't order me pie!"
He let out a laugh before answering. "I guess we could do that."
When the waitress brought their coffees they both ordered a slice of cherry pie. The waitress departed and Shalimar leaned in close. She could smell a mixture of his and Lexa's scents mingled on his skin.
"I guess you are doing well without me." Shalimar said with a wink.
Jesse's face blushed slightly, knowing her implication. "It was rough for a while, but things are starting to look up." His face dropped to a more serious expression. "We miss you."
A thought shot through her as she realized that maybe it would have been better if they never knew. She only had two weeks to find out if she would survive, and if she didn't it would be that much harder on them. She wasn't going to burden them with that now. Maybe she could tell them tomorrow, but for now she wanted to just enjoy the feeling of her old friends.
Trying to shake away the melancholy she forced a smile. "I know, because I did too. Do you have a place?"
"Yeah we'll head over after we've eaten."
The waitress returned with their pie and coffee. The conversation between the two was light and easy banter. They were still aware that they were in a public forum and did not want to speak of anything heavy or pertaining to what was going on while in such an open area.
When they were done Shalimar paid for the check with a smirk at Jesse and they made their way out. He led her down the vacant alley. Shalimar let her feral senses kick in and keep alert for anything out of the ordinary. They walked about ten blocks before coming up to the docks where there were abandon buildings and warehouses. The vagrants where searching around for anything of value but stopped momentarily to look uncertainly at the two people dressed in still fairly clean clothes. The wanderers gave a quick perusal over them before they resumed their trash search.
Jesse led her to an old green-tin-paneled building that had a door on the side. The lock and chain were still present but Jesse simply placed his hand on the wall and exhaled causing the area by the door to shimmer and Shalimar entered followed by her friend. A quick sweep of the place showed that it had been an abandon storage facility. There were a few crates and pallets stacked around and there seemed to be a staircase at the back of the building leading to a loft.
"Lexa and Brennan will be here in a few minutes. I have to wait to let them in." Jesse said softly.
Butterflies suddenly began to flutter in her stomach as she realized how nervous she was about being together with the whole team once more. She could do little more then nod and slowly walk around the warehouse floor and try to settle her nerves before the other two arrived.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught Jesse watching her. His expression bordered on adoration and idolization one might have toward an older sibling. He had no clue of the respect she had for him. He had surpassed all of the trials life put him through to make it this far, and she was proud of the man that he had become.
A knock at the door interrupted her musings and she heard a series of raps in a staccato beat. She looked at Jesse and smiled as he phased the wall to allow entrance.
Lexa entered first and Brennan followed directly behind her, they couldn't have been more then five yards away from where she stood. She couldn't help but notice immediately that both were in much the same state that Jesse presented to her. Their clothes were not as clean and kept as before and Brennan's hair was almost back to the length it was when she first met him. Both of them sported hollows under their eyes, though Brennan's seemed deeper some how.
She shot them a smile and watched as they nodded to her. She felt her heart slightly break at the lack of reaction from Brennan. He seemed almost unaffected by her leaving, actually it was worse. In the past he had always been tactile with her, holding her hand, hugging her and reaching for closeness. The vibes that he put off now just screamed at her to keep her distance.
"Why don't we go upstairs and talk?" Jesse said as he looked to each in turn.
Shalimar could only nod and follow the others to the staircase. Once they arrived in the loft she saw that they had some possessions with them but not nearly enough to survive on. Most of the stuff had been splayed haphazardly, leading her to believe that they hadn't been here long enough to create any organization.
Finding a few crates to sit on they all created a small circle to talk. Shalimar took a crate next to Jesse and noticed that Lexa sat to his other side. Brennan remained standing against the wall opposite her. His eyes occasionally scanned her and she felt a shiver from what she thought was a heated glare, but when she looked up at him, he had looked away.
"So now that you found us Shal, what do you need?" Lexa's terse words confirmed the feeling that Shalimar originally had. Lexa was mad and it was going to take a while for her to gain any trust from the light bender.
Taking a deep breath she decided to start with the facts. Hopefully with some of the information she had found, it might grant her some reprieve. "Well, Adam was in contact with me up until about two or three weeks ago. He kept close tabs on Keith and I and we've been doing a lot of work in the Underground."
She didn't miss the momentary look of hurt that crossed Brennan's face at the mention of Keith, nor did she miss the narrowed glare shot at her by Lexa.
Picking up her chin she continued on. "So needless to say that when he went missing I got freaked out, and basically we've been searching for any clue of Adam's whereabouts and I've been trying to track you guys down to make sure you were alright.
"I've gotten a hold of some information that may lead us to Adam and this guy called the Creator. Keith was vague about him because he only knew what he had heard. He's never met the man, so our information was limited. But I think that we have found the place where Adam is being held. If not him, there will be something of importance there." She looked up into their faces. Jesse looked borderline happy, Lexa had on her trademark scowl and Brennan had schooled his features into a neutral mask.
"How do you know that your source hasn't been corrupted?" Lexa asked shortly.
Shalimar sighed. "I'm not positive, but she has been friends with Adam-"
"Oh well that's great. That will save us all, after all of the lies and half-truths that Adam has told us, we just need to put our blind faith in someone who might not be playing for the wrong team." Brennan cut her off. She could see the barely restrained fury in his gaze.
"Brennan, Lexa, that's enough; at least let's hear her out." Jesse stood up and cut the other two off. He shot Shalimar an apologetic look. "Go on."
She took a deep breath and concentrated on what she needed to get out. "Before Adam left he told me that he was going back to Sanctuary. I thought that if anything major would happen he would have let me know." She breathed out a sigh of frustration. "Obviously he didn't. But he did leave us some crucial information to use if he was compromised.
"He knew who he could still count on and left us a list of names. Most of which had no information to give or we were unable to find. That is until I ran across the name of an old friend. I found someone who owed the team as much as she owed Adam." Taking a moment to look to Brennan she met his eyes and continued. "You remember Megan Morrison?"
Brennan took a sharp breath before nodding. She could see that he understood what she was saying now.
"I managed to contact Senator Morrison. She is in the thick of things but managed to get me some information. None of it is direct links until we knew what to look for. It was lucky that Keith was in the Dominion employ for as long as he was. He was able to recognize a lot of the names and holding companies. We found an abandoned hospital that still has active funding. We have our suspicions that there is something going on there, we're just not sure what."
Lexa glared at Shalimar for a moment before stepping up closer to her. "What's in it for you? Why do you care after all of this time?" The tone was soft but there was an edge to the words.
Shalimar stood straight and looked into the hazel-green eyes in front of her before answering. "I never stopped caring. I still consider all of you my family." She shot Jesse a look. "Some more than others... But the fact of the matter is that I've been putting myself and Keith in harms way because I wanted to make sure you guys were safe and help you find Adam."
Lexa didn't give her ground. "Well we're alive, so you can take that off of your conscious. If that's all you had to tell us you can return to your so called 'normal life' and stay in hiding."
She felt a growl well up in her throat and had to refrain herself from punching the brunette. "If that's all I wanted I would have left you a note somewhere and you could have handled it on your own, but that isn't the case. I'm in this until the end. I know that I've made decisions that affected everyone, but I've also been a part of the team longer then you and I deserve more than your attitude."
"You left us, or did you forget that part? You haven't been camped out in some bug infested forest for the past few weeks cut off from everything and everyone. We have, and I'm not about to let you just waltz back and pretend that you didn't abandon us for some guy!" Lexa's voice was increasing in volume as she neared the end of her tirade.
Shalimar almost laughed. She wasn't sure why the situation suddenly struck her as funny but before she could stop them the words tumbled out of her mouth. "That's what really pisses you off, huh? The fact that I wasn't in the bug infested woods is bothering you that much? Do you realize how much time I've spent in the forest? Your few weeks would have been a holiday for me." She took a step closer. "Or are you just jealous that I left for someone you thought was a murderer and you hated that I proved you wrong?" She breathed out in an almost hiss.
The punch was coming and she knew it. Ducking out of the way just in time she felt Jesse grab her from behind and lift her feet from the floor as Brennan did the same to Lexa as she cursed at Shalimar and kicked her legs in attempt to be set free.
Shalimar felt a calm steal over her and stopped struggling. "Jesse you can put me down. If it's what you guys want, I'll leave." She turned from Jesse's hold and looked to him. "I'm glad you're okay." She whispered softly before looking over a fuming Lexa's shoulder to Brennan. "I really did miss you guys."
With that she walked toward the stairs and blinked back the tears from her eyes. She refused to cry right now. She would wait until she could get away and be alone before that. The three in the loft were arguing, but she ignored it and focused on the doorway. She got there before she realized that she couldn't get out that way without Jesse's assistance. Looking up she saw some crossbeams and a few windows that were open. Without a second thought she jumped up and walked to the window.
Looking over her shoulder one last time she saw Jesse and Brennan watching her from the middle of the stairs. Neither called for her to stop so she looked out the window and sighted her landing spot before jumping, she rebounded off the opposite building and flipped to land on her feet. She wanted to run, but her feet didn't listen, they just doggedly trudged away from what was left of her team. She refused to look back even when she heard footsteps racing behind her.
"Shalimar!" It sounded like Brennan calling her name, vaguely muffled, but she didn't know why he would. He had shown that he was no longer interested in even her friendship.
"Shalimar, wait!" Stopping and turning she saw Brennan running through the side of the building. Jesse had just stepped through after him but only stood by the doorway, a resolute mask of annoyance on his face.
She could only grumble curses at her heart and her feet for stopping in a small alcove to avoid the striking sunlight and privacy from any possible passerby. Brennan had watched her step in there so she had no doubt that if he really wanted to catch her, he would follow.
From the moment he had seen her, he wasn't sure what to do. Part of him wanted to hold her tightly and never let go again. A voice in the back of his head reminded him that he no longer had that option. She was with someone else. It had been her choice to leave. That cut worse then not seeing her.
He didn't know how to handle seeing her again so he played the cold indifference card. It was the only thing he could think of to protect him and also to keep him from acting like a fool. She seemed almost hurt by his actions though.
A month or so ago, Jesse had reminded him that he had left on two separate occasions and would have probably left a third and fourth time under different circumstances. He tried to defend himself that Lorna had drugged him, and he had never been definite about leaving with Becky. Then Jesse brought up Samantha and how he had pushed Shalimar away during the whole incident. He said he knew because Shalimar cried on his shoulder about it. He didn't even have to bring up the time he left when Lexa joined or Riley and her tempting offer.
For some reason when he saw Lexa swing at Shalimar he realized that for all of the times that he had been ready to leave, Shalimar had always been a constant, even when he didn't want her to be. So why should he feel angry or jealous that he was never clearer about what she meant to him? He only had himself to blame for the state of his heart now.
When she looked into his eyes he saw her saying goodbye for a final time and realized that he didn't want to let her out of his life just yet. Seeing her for those few minutes had actually healed a part of him that he forgot was broken.
When she left they began to argue. Lexa was mad but he could only tell her that it wasn't her right. She too had abandoned Adam for a time and had more skeletons in her closet then she cared to admit. Jesse wanted Shalimar back and said that they were stronger together and needed the help. Brennan had just grabbed Jesse's arm and pulled him toward the stairs. Lexa stood at the top and huffed, he wasn't sure if she followed or not.
Getting to the middle of the stairs he looked up and saw Shalimar on the beam ready to jump out the window. She looked down at him and he could see the tears welling in her eyes. Then she jumped. He had called out her name but she was already out the window.
He and Jesse sprinted down the last few steps and ran for the door. As they arrived at the wall Jesse opened it for him to run through. It surprised him that as he looked both ways to hopefully find some sign of the direction Shalimar had taken off in, he saw her barely at the end of the block. Yelling her name once more she turned and stopped for a second then walked casually to the side of the roadway where a small alcove provided shade and some privacy.
As he rounded the corner he saw her standing to the side of the alcove. Her back was straight and her shoulders were squared. Her body language read defensive, but as he looked to her face he could see that she was trying to hold back her emotions.
It was all he could do not to fall to his knees and hold her.
She was the first to speak though. "Brennan, look, I'm sorry for showing up like this. I know I must have caused a lot of trouble and you guys don't need me. I was hoping if nothing else I could offer a safe place to stay and help the best I could." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I guess I was an idiot after all though."
Before he could think of the repercussions he pulled her into a tight hug and buried his face in her hair. That part of him that was nervous flew out the door as she wrapped her arms around him in a return gesture. Words of apology ran off of his tongue and he felt her tears soak his tee, but he didn't care. He didn't need to have her as a lover; he just needed her in his life. If only his heart could be convinced of the same.
Long moments past as they held each other and he felt their hearts race in rhythm. He didn't want to let go, but he had to tell her what he came after her for. Taking a deep breath he spoke. "Shal, we still need you." He refrained from the admission of his need. It was too much to admit out loud right now.
She looked up at him and he saw her eyes were puffy but no longer spilling tears. "I don't know, Bren. Are all of you sure you want me back?"
He felt a smile tug at his lips. "Lexa will come around. She's just mad because she hasn't had a decent bath and her girly comforts for a few weeks."
The laugh she gave him brightened her whole face. "Yeah, well I guess that she is a little too high maintenance to be roughing it like that."
Like that, the camaraderie they had shared before seeped back in.
Jesse watched as the dark haired elemental and the blond feral walked back toward the warehouse. His prayers had been answered in the fact that not only was she returning, but the forlorn look and posture that Brennan had adopted seemed to have disappeared.
Lexa called to him from inside the warehouse and he opened the wall to let her out.
"I'm still mad at her." She huffed.
Wrapping his arm around her waist he whispered into her ear. "You don't need to be mad. We all have made our mistakes." He turned her to look him straight in the eye. "That's the best part about family, we fight and forgive."
He could see her forcing back her smile, but it still shown in her eyes. "I wouldn't know. I've never really had a family."
Kissing her forehead and pulling her into a tight embrace he took a moment before he answered. "Yes you do. You're just too stubborn to accept it."
She reached up to kiss him on the lips, surprising him at the blatant lack of care that they were outside. "I guess that you can persuade me to come around."
He grinned back at her and looked up to see smirks of amusement on both Brennan and Shalimar's faces. Turning his attention back to the brunette in his arms he responded, "I think I might be able to do that."
The next few hours flew by for Shalimar. After they were able to sit down and actually talk, things progressed quickly. They began making plans to figure out what would happen with the information that Shalimar obtained and when they could move on it. Lexa wanted to see what supplies they would be able to obtain but the others weren't sure how to go about getting them.
They filled her in briefly on what they knew of the Creator, which was still very little, and what they had found at the Dominion headquarters. Shalimar felt a shock run through her at the thought of Adam being a clone of the Creator. And her head felt as if it were swimming as they paraphrased the last few months of their lives. A part of her rebuked herself for leaving because she had missed so much. She had very little to offer now except that she was leading a simple life with very little chance of contact with the Dominion.
Basically, staying under the radar was a bitch for the rest of the team. It had kept them from any major funds they once had available to them and they couldn't return to Sanctuary because, one: there was very little left of their previous home, and two: they weren't sure if there were traps or surveillance set up to watch for them. So if they did return it could quickly escalate into a bad situation. Shalimar was able to inform them of Devon's crew that had gone there and reported that the place was pretty much demolished.
When Shalimar offered up her and Keith's apartment the other three were skeptical, but were finally convinced when Shalimar told them about the pull out couch in the living room and the futon that was stored in her workout room. They knew that it would be tight quarters for a little while but the place was comfortable enough and had access to a secure computer which Jesse was more then a little happy for.
A quick call to Keith had informed him of the plan and he offered to prepare both the futon and the bed but laughed when she said to turn the hot water heater up because they were going to need it. He had been glad that she found them and told her he looked forward to her coming home to tell him all about what happened.
That brought her here, standing in the elevator with the three others on their way up to her floor of the building. They had made their way back through the back alleys and separating whenever possible so not to be seen in a large group. It hadn't taken long for them to arrive but a part of Shalimar's mind wouldn't stop yammering about the fact that she had actually been reunited with her family.
It didn't help that Brennan seemed to take every opportunity he could to touch her or brush against her. Ever since he held her in the alcove she noticed a drastic change. One that scared her because of her bodies willingness to accept it whole-heartedly. There had been nothing overtly sexual or even possessive about the touches but it still sent shivers up her spine and a few times she caught herself hugging a little too possessively on both he and Jesse. She chalked it up to her protective feral nature and exhilaration at seeing them both again. She was even happy to see Lexa, but they hadn't yet graduated to a hugging phase.
She couldn't help but notice how close Brennan was standing and even though she could tell that he hadn't had a decent shower in a while, his underlying scent was still the same. She wondered why he had such a sudden change of heart about her but was scared to ask. Berating herself about it was doing no good so she decided just to take what she could get.
The elevator dinged softly and the doors opened leading to their hallway. Shalimar led the way to the apartment. She had always liked it because it was on the seventh floor. There were still two floors above them, but she had found that the roof access was easy to get to from here which made her very happy.
As she arrived at the door she used her key to open the lock and found Keith in the throws of cleaning. She would have laughed if she didn't just realize what a disaster she had let the place become over the past few weeks. Clothes were scattered and there were dishes in the sink that had yet to be washed. She felt her face flush in embarrassment as she told the other three to make themselves at home while she helped Keith.
Lexa inquired about a shower and was pointed toward the bathroom. Shalimar offered some of her clothes until they had a chance to do laundry, which Lexa accepted. Shalimar couldn't help but see the slight smile that was on the brunette's face as she accepted the clothes. They were making amends. With Lexa it would just be slower than the others. It made sense because they were together for a lot less time and as far as Shalimar was concerned, any progress between them was good.
The guys took advantage or sitting back on the futon in the workout room after a half-hearted attempt to help. Keith told them to go sit down and surprisingly, that was all it took for them to sink into the soft foam of the mattress come sofa.
The rest of the evening past in an unusual fashion as Shalimar and Keith adapted to having more then just the two of them in the place and the others tried to find a comfortable routine. Lexa was as polite as anyone could expect to Keith. But they all knew that she was just sore about being proved wrong. The guys had taken showers while waiting for dinner; which had been interesting, but they had hammered out more ideas and sketchy plans for a way to get into Saint Marta's.
After dinner Jesse and Lexa offered to clean and wouldn't take no for an answer. Keith offered Jesse the computer and the information that he had found to look over once they were done. So once they finished the dishes, Lexa went and laid out on the futon in the workout room citing that they were only to wake her if there was no other choice. Jesse followed Keith into the office and Shalimar sat on the desk with Brennan looking on from the doorway.
Keith walked Jesse through the connections and findings that he and Shalimar had made.
"This company here is one of the major players." Keith said pointing to the screen.
Shalimar couldn't see too well from her angle but she assumed it was Bio-Dynamic.
Keith continued. "I was able to piece together all of these companies with their holders. If I didn't work for them I would have been lost. Our source was pretty smart in how she arranged the information for us."
"So what are these other documents?" Jesse asked as he clicked to open them.
Shalimar froze and realized a harsh truth that the excitement of the day made her forget as she heard Jesse's gasp. They were the expiration dates. In all the excitement she had completely forgotten that she had a possible two week death sentence hanging over her head. A quiet voice in the back of her head reminded her that she didn't forget but chose to ignore it.
The haunted look that Jesse shot her and the confused look that was glimmering in Keith's eyes proved that she hadn't said anything about the dates. She couldn't take anymore and dashed from the apartment.
He saw her run but he didn't know why.
Looking to Jesse and Keith he asked, "What is going on?"
Both men looked at each other with trepidation but answered before he could start yelling.
Jesse stood to face him and pointed at the computer screen. "Look for yourself Bren." His voice was hollow and it sounded like tears were welling in his throat.
The screen gave a bunch of names and dates and it took a moment for Brennan to focus on what they were exactly before comprehension kicked him in the gut. He saw Jesse's name and a date that was almost a month ago, his own name with a date almost a year in the future, Lexa's name with a date almost six months away, and then Shalimar. The date was just over two weeks from today.
"We have to do something." Jesse demanded his tone harsh and raw. "I won't stand by and let something happen to her."
"I'm sorry guys." Keith said with remorse. "I figured she had told you, but I should have known better. You would have been more adamant about finding a cure if you knew."
Brennan found it hard not to like the guy. He really did seem to care for Shalimar and had been going out of his way to help them this whole time even though he barely knew them.
"Why didn't she say anything?" Brennan felt his throat constrict around a growl.
Jesse placed a hand on his arm and looked him in the eye. "You know her Bren. She didn't want to worry us. I'm guess she didn't want to take the chance that there was nothing to do but wait and see."
"She was supposed to ask Jesse about what happened with him and why he is still alive!" Keith said in a strained tone. He looked to the blond man. "Do you know anything that can help?"
Jesse shook his head sadly. "The only person that knew what treatments were given was Adam. That's another reason why we needed to find him so badly."
"I'm going after her." Brennan felt himself say.
"Check the roof." Keith responded and added a slight smirk. "She's always hated when I followed her up there, but maybe she'll go easier on you."
Brennan half-smiled at the other man. "If you see me falling past the window you know it didn't go to well!"
With that he dashed out the door and to the end of the hall. Looking to the stairs he opened the door and took them upward two at a time. The driving impulse to see Shalimar and make sure that she was still here spurning him forward.
She looked over the lights of the city. Tears cascaded down her face but she didn't have the energy to stem their flow. Once she had gotten up here she had punched the brick on the side of the wall. It had put a sizable dent in it but caused more damage to her hand. Her knuckles were scabbing over now but the blood had caked most of her hand. Try as she might she could find no way out of her predicament without help from Adam.
The door opened behind her and she heard an intake of breath as he noticed the dent in the wall with the blood running down the mortar. Footsteps walked over to where she sat on the wall overlooking the city. She could feel the hesitance in his stance. It reminded her of the times he would come look for her at Sanctuary when she would climb to the bluff, the one that eventually became Adam and Emma's memorial.
"Shal," Brennan breathed out in a low voice. The whisper reminded her of a few weeks back when she recalled his voice from one of the last times she had heard it.
She didn't respond but slightly leaned back trusting him to be there to keep her from falling to the roof. Like before, he was. His arms wrapped gently around her at first but increased in pressure. Her throat constricted and she couldn't push the words that she wanted to say out. She wanted to tell him that she was scared and that it couldn't be true. Nothing would come so she let the tears flow freely down her face as he held her from behind and threaded his fingers through her own. She noticed that he was mindful of her injured hand.
Finally he spoke. His low rumbling voice felt like a comfort all of its own. "We'll find a way Shal. I promise you that I won't give up."
Turning on the wall she met his gaze, noticing that she was the perfect height to look eye to eye with him, and saw the fierce protectiveness and honesty reflected in his mahogany eyes. He had always been good at schooling his features, but for some reason Shalimar had always been able to read his eyes. There was something else burning in his expression. Something in his eyes that sent a fire through her. It wasn't lust per se but it also wasn't the lack of it.
"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." She couldn't move her gaze from his. Her head moved slightly forward on its own accord.
He broke the trance with a shake of his head and pulled her into an embrace as he picked her up off of the wall and held her with her feet slightly dangling above the ground. She giggled softly as she had forgotten how tall he was.
Wrapping her legs around him she hugged him tightly and whispered into his ear. "Can we stay here for a little longer?"
He nodded in agreement and she felt him look for a suitable place to sit.
"On the other side of the entrance there's a chair." She said as he huffed some of her hair out of his face.
He carried her over as if she weighed nothing and found the inflatable furniture and laughed. "Well I guess it keeps from getting soaked through."
"The kids around here originally brought up an old couch, but after the first rain it took forever to dry out so I bought a few of these. They worked well once we filled the bottoms with sand." She said.
She let go of him as he sat in the chair she moved to drape her legs across his lap and enjoyed the closeness. A realizations struck her that she rarely had Keith up here with her, but for the first time in months she was together again with Brennan and it felt perfectly normal to have him in her place of solace.
They spoke of the past few months. Brennan left out his slight breakdown, and Shalimar avoided too much detail about her and Keith's life together. The stars brightened slightly in the sky, but the lights from the city still overcast them.
"I miss Sanctuary and being able to see all of the stars and hear the woods around us at night." She said in almost a whisper. It was as if to speak louder would have broken the peace that had descended upon them.
Brennan replied in much of the same volume. "I never thought I'd get used to it when I first moved there. I grew up in the city and the quiet took me a while to get used to. Now it feels weird when I'm around the noise." He tugged on her chin to bring her eyes to his. "I really did miss you."
She could see his fear and tension at his admission. Knowing him as well as she did, she knew that he would be silently berating himself for the slip. It wasn't so much the weakness, but rather the fact that he admitted to wanting or needing anything in his life.
His eyes flickered to her lips and she felt as well as saw the heat in his gaze. He moved closer to her and she felt drawn as if he was pulling her in. His one hand was around her back and the other hand was holding her own uninjured one. He was adding no pressure and giving her the option to run. The problem was that she didn't want to.
He looked straight into her eyes and let her know right there what he wanted to do. She moved the last few millimeters to connect their lips. Her sore hand forgotten as it locked tightly behind his shoulders to play with the short hairs at the base of his neck. A voice in the back of her head reproached her, but she couldn't figure out why.
The touch was soft at first barely contact between the sensitive skin surrounding their mouths. Soft brushes against each other and still she felt a heat encompass her and a jolt run through her veins His hand and arm tightened around her back and his other released her hand to touch her face as he parted her lips with his tongue. She felt herself moan into his mouth as she opened hers to his exploration. Their tongues danced across one another and after he had thoroughly explored hers she returned the favor. Running her tongue across his teeth and then caressing each other in a sensual cadence.
He groaned and pulled her around so she was straddling his waist. All sense of gentleness flew out the window as both of his hands flew into her hair and he pulled her head closer. She felt as if he was trying to merge his soul with her own. It was a frenzy and tranquility all in the same breath. She pulled tighter into his lap as one hand braced in his hair and the other on his face. Evidence of his desire was blatant through the heat between them.
Her thoughts fell upon her in a rush. She realized that she shouldn't be doing this. She was with Keith, and as much as this was what her body was yearning for she couldn't give in.
She broke away with a gasp and almost flew off of Brennan's lap. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." She could feel the guilt creeping up her insides.
His expression was forlorn almost as if she had taken away something he had wanted his whole life. It burned to see the expression. He stood up and walked away from her. She could see his shoulders rising and falling as he took deep breaths to calm himself.
"Bren," her voice felt small as she called to him.
He gripped the wall in a white knuckle hold and his voice sounded harsh from the ragged breathing. "It's okay Shal. I shouldn't have done that."
"We… We should go back." She said idly as she readjusted the straps to her shirt that she never felt leave her shoulders.
"Give me a minute, okay?" His breathing was almost normal but she could see the pain in his eyes.
Without thinking she walked to him and pulled him into a tight embrace begging silently for his forgiveness. He stood limply in her arms for a moment and she feared that he wouldn't return the hold, but then his arms came around her in a fierce hug that squeezed her ribs tightly.
"I didn't mean for that to happen." He said into the top of her head. "But I can't lose you again."
She didn't know how to respond, so she said nothing as she buried her face deeper into his chest and committed his scent to memory once again.
Okay I hope that had enough elements of everything and everyone that it was worth it.
Buddies - Thank you for the review, I'm glad that you liked it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter too!
Karen147145 - All I can say is GAAK!! I wasn't sure if I messed up with that stuff, and I didn't have time back then to research and write so I kinda went with what I could. I figured I'd just stay consistent at this point though. Thanks for catching that for me though. I'll kick myself repeatedly for it! LOL As for the other comments - I really appreciate your kind words about my writing. I've been trying to get better and I'm glad that it is noticeable. And well they didn't exactly fall into each other's arms, but I promise that there will be a lot of underlying tension!!
Rachel - You are my girl! I hope that this helps to ease your dreams. They are all together again and now there is a huge question mark as to what will happen next! (evil grin) I hope that I made up for some lost time by getting this out soon! H&K TTYS!
Hysink - Here it finally is the meeting. I really hope it lived up to expectations. I also hope that getting this chapter out so soon took some of the sting away! I do have a few more chapters planned. I'm just trying to figure out how to work them now. Hopefully I will have another one finished sometime this week. Thanks again so much for the review and for all of your prodding to keep up with the story!!
shonnia - Thank you so much for the review. I'm glad that you like the story and are looking forward to more. I hope that you like this chapter too!.
kai0707 - Well you got the sneak peek so I already know most of your thoughts, but thank you so much for your help and extra set of eyes! I got over to your story (finally I know) and left a review. If you want me to look over any of your stuff just let me know.
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Til next time...
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