A DIFFERENT KIND OF PROGRESS
Natty had found a quiet secluded place to sit, and cry to herself. Seeing Brennan with Claire like that had just upset her. more than she had thought possible. She should feel happy for her cousin, but instead she found herself incredibly jealous. He seemed to have a great life going on here: a loving partner; fantastic friends; every gizmo under the sun; a jet; talent in rescuing people; and a great place to stay.
And what did she have? Nothing.
She hugged Amber, not so tight as to strangle the poor cat, but tight enough to feel secure.
She didn't even hear the footsteps coming up behind her.
She screamed abruptly as a hand landed on her shoulder. The person behind her jumped, and pulled their hand away.
Natty turned, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, and found herself looking up at Emma. one of the two women she had met earlier. One of the ones who had helped rescue her.
She turned her head back to where she had been focusing before, and asked in a quiet voice, "What do you want?"
She heard Emma sigh lightly. "I wanted to talk."
"Yeah. everyone just wants to talk."
She hadn't meant to sound so rude, especially not to Emma, who seemed so friendly, but she was just angry she guessed.
Emma came around and sat in front of Natty, smiling warmly. "If there's something wrong, you know you can talk to me, right? You can talk to any of us."
Natty didn't reply, just glanced up briefly into those gentle eyes, and then back down at her cat's soft fur. She began stroking it slowly.
Emma was quiet for some time, before she said, "Are you jealous, Natasha?"
Natty's head flew up, and she stared right into those eyes, her own narrowing. How could she have known that? What was she, psychic or something?
"Are you crazy?" was all she could muster. It was either that, or sit and stare in silence, which would give her away. She didn't want that, she wanted to try and prove Emma wrong.
Emma smiled. "It's not wrong to feel that way, Natty."
"Listen, I'm not jealous of Claire. okay? I hate her."
With that, she stood, turned, and walked away as fast as she could.
* * *
Emma stared after Natty, and sighed, lowering her head. She hadn't needed to read Natty's emotions to understand what was going on. She had had some impression before, but after going in her head, Emma was clear of what it was now.
And that meant she could relay that information to Brennan and Claire, and then maybe they could sort all of this out, before it got them all into trouble. again.
* * *
Brennan looked up from his focus point on the floor, when he heard the boots walking towards him. He looked into the pretty face of Emma, who seemed to have something on her mind. She usually did have.
"Hey, Emma," he greeted her, realising then just how depressed he sounded. He was afraid of being caught with Claire by Natasha, because it seemed to upset her, but whenever he went to talk with his younger cousin, she ran from him. as though she were frightened. or offended. He just didn't understand.
"Hi," she replied, seating herself next to him, brushing her elegant skirt underneath her as she did so.
He sighed, looking away for a moment, before asking, "So, what's up?"
She gave her own version of a sigh, and replied, "I read Natty."
"You read my cousin?" he asked, for validation, not sure why he needed it. Was he offended that his friend had read his cousin's emotions, or was he curious. He supposed the latter. he wanted to know what was wrong with her. more than anything right now. If he didn't know what was wrong, he couldn't fix it.
She nodded, and continued, "I think she's jealous, Brennan. That might explain her behaviour."
Brennan cocked his head, and furrowed his brow. "Jealous of who?"
Emma smiled, as though she thought his need for clarity was amusing somehow.
Then she replied, "She's jealous of Claire. I'm pretty sure anyway. And when she saw the two of you kissing, it upset her. I don't know why she's jealous. she just it. It might be a good idea if you talk to her about it."
"Maybe I should do it," came a feminine voice from the other side of Brennan, and he turned sharply, glancing up at Claire, who had a look of guilt across her face. He hated seeing her look like that. it wasn't her fault.
He shook his head slightly, "I don't think that's a good idea, Claire. I've known her longer, and she might listen to me better-"
"Yeah, might," she interrupted, giving him a slight smile.
He continued, as though he had never been interrupted, "And anyway, she's my cousin. she's my responsibility."
She sighed. "Okay. whatever you think is best."
He stood, and gave her a light kiss. He loved it when she was supportive. which was pretty much always.
* * *
Jesse took a deep breath in, and looked around the corner. Sure enough, there was Natty, sitting alone, cat in her lap. He stood up straight, took in another deep breath, and walked around the corner.
He narrowly avoided falling flat on his face, stumbling on the corner of the steps, cursing light for it, and carried on, hoping no one had seen his little accident.
It appeared no one had.
"Natty, hi," he called, smiling.
She looked up at him, and said, "Oh, hi, Jesse. Um. did you want something?"
He let his shoulders slump. She wasn't in the mood to talk apparently, he guessed, from her response.
"I'm sorry," she apologised, smiling sweetly up at him, and patting the area next to her, letting Amber, the cat, run off. "What was it you were going to say?" She frowned. "You were going to say something, weren't you?"
He nodded vigorously, and seated himself.
They sat in silence for a moment, before Natty laughed, and said, "Well?"
"Oh!" Jesse laughed himself, scolding himself for acting like a high school student around a girl he liked. He had never acted this way around a woman before, and he felt foolish for it. "I'm sorry-"
At that moment, Adam came up to them, and said, "How are things, Natasha? Are you feeling okay?"
Jesse sighed, letting his head droop slightly, before bringing it up again, and smiling in a friendly manner at Adam.
She smiled also. "Yeah. I feel fine. Thanks."
Adam gave them both a smile, and walked away, arms crossed over his chest.
"Whadda ya' say we go somewhere more private. where we won't get interruptions?" Natty proposed, looking him in the eye, and he nodded without saying a word.
He stood, and began making his way towards his room, where people pretty much just left him alone.
To his surprise, Natty slipped her hand into his as they walked, and when they reached his door, she squeezed it slightly. He turned and looked at her, and she was smiling, seemingly intrigued.
He led the way in, closing the door behind them.
"I like your room," she said to him, watching him sit down on the bed, on the edge. She moved over and sat beside him.
Now that he was in his room, Jesse didn't quite know what to say, and he found himself feeling awkward and foolish. He swallowed dryly, and looked Natasha in the eye.
He leaned closer to her, and she didn't back away. Before long, he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back.
At least he knew she liked him back.
Natty had found a quiet secluded place to sit, and cry to herself. Seeing Brennan with Claire like that had just upset her. more than she had thought possible. She should feel happy for her cousin, but instead she found herself incredibly jealous. He seemed to have a great life going on here: a loving partner; fantastic friends; every gizmo under the sun; a jet; talent in rescuing people; and a great place to stay.
And what did she have? Nothing.
She hugged Amber, not so tight as to strangle the poor cat, but tight enough to feel secure.
She didn't even hear the footsteps coming up behind her.
She screamed abruptly as a hand landed on her shoulder. The person behind her jumped, and pulled their hand away.
Natty turned, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, and found herself looking up at Emma. one of the two women she had met earlier. One of the ones who had helped rescue her.
She turned her head back to where she had been focusing before, and asked in a quiet voice, "What do you want?"
She heard Emma sigh lightly. "I wanted to talk."
"Yeah. everyone just wants to talk."
She hadn't meant to sound so rude, especially not to Emma, who seemed so friendly, but she was just angry she guessed.
Emma came around and sat in front of Natty, smiling warmly. "If there's something wrong, you know you can talk to me, right? You can talk to any of us."
Natty didn't reply, just glanced up briefly into those gentle eyes, and then back down at her cat's soft fur. She began stroking it slowly.
Emma was quiet for some time, before she said, "Are you jealous, Natasha?"
Natty's head flew up, and she stared right into those eyes, her own narrowing. How could she have known that? What was she, psychic or something?
"Are you crazy?" was all she could muster. It was either that, or sit and stare in silence, which would give her away. She didn't want that, she wanted to try and prove Emma wrong.
Emma smiled. "It's not wrong to feel that way, Natty."
"Listen, I'm not jealous of Claire. okay? I hate her."
With that, she stood, turned, and walked away as fast as she could.
* * *
Emma stared after Natty, and sighed, lowering her head. She hadn't needed to read Natty's emotions to understand what was going on. She had had some impression before, but after going in her head, Emma was clear of what it was now.
And that meant she could relay that information to Brennan and Claire, and then maybe they could sort all of this out, before it got them all into trouble. again.
* * *
Brennan looked up from his focus point on the floor, when he heard the boots walking towards him. He looked into the pretty face of Emma, who seemed to have something on her mind. She usually did have.
"Hey, Emma," he greeted her, realising then just how depressed he sounded. He was afraid of being caught with Claire by Natasha, because it seemed to upset her, but whenever he went to talk with his younger cousin, she ran from him. as though she were frightened. or offended. He just didn't understand.
"Hi," she replied, seating herself next to him, brushing her elegant skirt underneath her as she did so.
He sighed, looking away for a moment, before asking, "So, what's up?"
She gave her own version of a sigh, and replied, "I read Natty."
"You read my cousin?" he asked, for validation, not sure why he needed it. Was he offended that his friend had read his cousin's emotions, or was he curious. He supposed the latter. he wanted to know what was wrong with her. more than anything right now. If he didn't know what was wrong, he couldn't fix it.
She nodded, and continued, "I think she's jealous, Brennan. That might explain her behaviour."
Brennan cocked his head, and furrowed his brow. "Jealous of who?"
Emma smiled, as though she thought his need for clarity was amusing somehow.
Then she replied, "She's jealous of Claire. I'm pretty sure anyway. And when she saw the two of you kissing, it upset her. I don't know why she's jealous. she just it. It might be a good idea if you talk to her about it."
"Maybe I should do it," came a feminine voice from the other side of Brennan, and he turned sharply, glancing up at Claire, who had a look of guilt across her face. He hated seeing her look like that. it wasn't her fault.
He shook his head slightly, "I don't think that's a good idea, Claire. I've known her longer, and she might listen to me better-"
"Yeah, might," she interrupted, giving him a slight smile.
He continued, as though he had never been interrupted, "And anyway, she's my cousin. she's my responsibility."
She sighed. "Okay. whatever you think is best."
He stood, and gave her a light kiss. He loved it when she was supportive. which was pretty much always.
* * *
Jesse took a deep breath in, and looked around the corner. Sure enough, there was Natty, sitting alone, cat in her lap. He stood up straight, took in another deep breath, and walked around the corner.
He narrowly avoided falling flat on his face, stumbling on the corner of the steps, cursing light for it, and carried on, hoping no one had seen his little accident.
It appeared no one had.
"Natty, hi," he called, smiling.
She looked up at him, and said, "Oh, hi, Jesse. Um. did you want something?"
He let his shoulders slump. She wasn't in the mood to talk apparently, he guessed, from her response.
"I'm sorry," she apologised, smiling sweetly up at him, and patting the area next to her, letting Amber, the cat, run off. "What was it you were going to say?" She frowned. "You were going to say something, weren't you?"
He nodded vigorously, and seated himself.
They sat in silence for a moment, before Natty laughed, and said, "Well?"
"Oh!" Jesse laughed himself, scolding himself for acting like a high school student around a girl he liked. He had never acted this way around a woman before, and he felt foolish for it. "I'm sorry-"
At that moment, Adam came up to them, and said, "How are things, Natasha? Are you feeling okay?"
Jesse sighed, letting his head droop slightly, before bringing it up again, and smiling in a friendly manner at Adam.
She smiled also. "Yeah. I feel fine. Thanks."
Adam gave them both a smile, and walked away, arms crossed over his chest.
"Whadda ya' say we go somewhere more private. where we won't get interruptions?" Natty proposed, looking him in the eye, and he nodded without saying a word.
He stood, and began making his way towards his room, where people pretty much just left him alone.
To his surprise, Natty slipped her hand into his as they walked, and when they reached his door, she squeezed it slightly. He turned and looked at her, and she was smiling, seemingly intrigued.
He led the way in, closing the door behind them.
"I like your room," she said to him, watching him sit down on the bed, on the edge. She moved over and sat beside him.
Now that he was in his room, Jesse didn't quite know what to say, and he found himself feeling awkward and foolish. He swallowed dryly, and looked Natasha in the eye.
He leaned closer to her, and she didn't back away. Before long, he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back.
At least he knew she liked him back.