Goren did not want to go undercover; he already had enough to hide.
But he really wanted to get back to work. He'd had enough of solitary musings and silent conversations; his mind had chewed over the problems presented by the ability to peek into people's minds and he'd come to an uneasy acceptance of this new reality. Now he needed the challenges presented by investigations, needed a sense of normality and he really needed to see Eames.
Ross' jibe about being paranoid had an unpleasant resonance but he all he could see in the captain was stress. And all he could 'hear' was a mantra of desperation.
"... I tried, I really tried... I'm trying but I can't see... I tried... I'm trying..."
Goren had learned that thoughts only became audible when they were accompanied by strong emotion, so he did not doubt Ross's sincerity. He had also learned that, like conventional hearing, it could not be turned off, that you just tuned out the noise but sometimes could not help overhearing the odd phrase. The one he now caught from the caption chilled him.
"...something bad's coming... really bad..."
Working a couple of cases with Petronelli had been interesting, but had done nothing to ease Eames' tension. She missed Bobby and was getting a little tired of hearing about baby names and the such-like. She tried not to let her irritation spoil his joy. Even Logan and Falacci weren't providing much distraction these days. She was fed up with snide comments about her partner, Daniels was OK but he was not Bobby, who was not answering her calls, and the vending machine was broken because Logan had jammed the mechanism somehow. Eames huffed her bangs out of her eyes and soldiered on, oblivious to the gun locker warping behind her.
Although he had badly wanted to see Eames - outside the diner was not the time or the place. Goren was not in the mood to deal with her now; he was struggling with the undercover work, his lunch had been ruined by the sleazy thoughts of a fellow diner and Stoat was waiting for him. Her silent angry tirade rang in his head as he walked away.
Eames watched him leave; she was seething inside and took a moment to steady herself before marching off leaving a trail of twisted trash cans and bent road signs in her wake.
It was only years of police training, and a lifetime of stoicism, that prevented her losing control as she faced Bobby down the barrel of her gun. But as she watched him talk to Stoat she could feel that control slip, could feel the pressure building.
Ross cut short his call from the chief because the feeling of dread had suddenly intensified, the pain flared in his chest and images of a pile of rubble and a shroud of dust filled his mind. There was a sense of urgency. Keep them safe, got to keep them safe. The thought repeated over and over as he called the front desk, making up a story of a bomb threat to get the building evacuated. As the alarms sounded, a new thought flared in his panicked mind. Elizabeth! It was no premonition; he just needed to be with her.
Logan and Falacci had been heading down the stairs at a nonchalant pace, convinced the alarms were sounding for a regular fire drill - Falacci was glancing about guiltily - when Ross charged by them. They were startled to see him run past the door that led to the main foyer and head down towards the morgue.
"Rodgers!"
His cry spurred them into action and they hurtled after him - Logan pulling the banister loose as he negotiated the turn in the stairs.
"Eames, I'm sorry."
Bobby's inadequate words were the last straw. Eames let rip.
"That's all you have to say to me? I could have blown your head off back there. Eight years I've had your back –"
As she let the words fly she could feel something tear loose inside. Tear loose and let go.
Ominous creaks and groans reverberated around them as the steel framework of the building warped and twisted, as masonry started to crumble, as windows cracked then shattered.
Goren stood dumbfounded. He was not shocked by her display of anger, was barely aware of the noise around him. What held him spellbound was the torrent of her words and feelings unleashed in his head.
Ross burst through the door into the corridor leading to the morgue with Falacci and Logan hot on his heels. He caught a glimpse of Rodgers' golden hair and pale face just as the roof caved in. The pain exploded in his chest and his last thought, before it all went black, was;
"The elevator – I'm by the damned elevator."
Goren's eyes were locked on Eames', her feelings swirling around him and he had no words of his own, just his feelings. He gathered them all up inside, focused then pushed. Watched the expression in her eyes change from anger to surprise then deepen with understanding.
"You..."
Her voice was soft in his head.
"Yes."
Her eyes widened a little and he knew she had 'heard' him. The world seemed to shrink around them until it was just a universe of two; locked in a tight embrace although they were still standing several feet apart.
"Captain! Falacci! Rodgers!"
Logan's voice contained a note of panic in the dark. Falacci felt the dust clog her throat and she coughed out her reply.
"I'm here, I'm OK. You?"
"Yeah, a bit bruised. Can't see a fucking thing. Ross! Rodgers!"
"Here, Logan, I'm over here. Danny?"
Rodgers' voice cracked with fear.
"We need some light, we've got to find him, I saw..."
Falacci was disturbed to hear the hysteria in the normally unflappable ME's speech. Light? She could do that. She held out her hand, concentrated, tried to block out the frantic exchanges between Rodgers and Logan – nothing happened. If only they would shut up! Her anger flared, as did the flames now leaping up from her palm. Logan's grin was a welcome sight.
"Always thought you were a firebrand."
The moment of light relief was broken by the sound of Rodgers' sobs. They turned to see Ross, lying face down, partially buried under rubble. Rodgers' hand was stroking his cheek.
"Is he ...?"
She looked up at them, eyes shining with tears.
"No, but I can feel him. We've got to get him out of here."
Logan didn't pause to consider her strange choice of words, just swung into action. He moved the rubble crushing the captain and then, pleased to have finally found a constructive use for his strength, cleared a pathway until he could see daylight. Recovering from the shock, fear and astonishment, Rodgers tended to Ross' wounds as best she could before she allowed Logan to gently carry him out, guided by Falacci's unwavering flames.
Epilogue
Ross gazed fondly at the extraordinary people gathered around his hospital bed.
Elizabeth had filled him in on their lucky escape and on the surprising skills displayed by Logan and Falacci. He glanced over at them, both a little battered and bruised but grinning like Cheshire cats. Strength and fire. God help anyone who gets on the wrong side of those two. He shuddered a little at the thought of trying to keep them in check. But perhaps it would soften some of their more abrasive tendencies.
He looked across to Goren and Eames, unscathed, radiating a sense of ... oneness. That, somehow, seemed even scarier. Eames was full of remorse but he was sure Goren was helping her get over it. And 1PP had been in need of refurbishment, anyway. Telekinesis and telepathy – hmm, he was going to have to keeps his wits about him with them.
He felt a gentle squeeze of his hand and looked up at Elizabeth. She'd told him of her own 'gift' and he'd marvelled at what a fit it was for his own. One feeling the past, one feeling the future. Both feeling each other. She dismissed her ability as worthless, but he could see what a comfort it could provide to grieving loved ones and maybe, with a little time and practice, she would be able to 'see' the offenders. He needed time and practice, as well, to hone his own abilities to keep these people safe.
But there was no hurry. All he could 'feel' at the moment was hope and love.
A/N
Thank you for joining me on this flight of fancy – I hope you enjoyed it.
And particular thanks to WendyCR72 – who along with months of excellent beta-ing, provided the inspiration for this story.
Usual disclaimer; LOCI is not mine – but the Mutant Cop Squad is – and maybe they'll return to continue their adventures next year...
