Disclaimer—see chapter one
A/N: Just to warn you, as you might have guessed from the ending of the last chapter, we're heading in a different direction with this story now. If nothing else, you can't deny there's been a bit of everything so far in this thing…what else is left, but torturous angst? Not to worry, it will come full circle! (Viviana—I'm sorry you were disappointed, can you bear with me for a few chapters?? And don't worry—Shalimar will remain herself.) Thank you again so much for all your reviews, they really do keep me going!! Please, keep them coming!!
House of Dreams—chapter nine
Jesse pinched his nose in tired anger as he again searched the database for missing mutants and their families. The team had been tirelessly searching and interviewing the families of the missing for days now, and still nothing new had come up. All the stories were the same. Families with mutants in danger of de-stabilization and desperate for a cure, heard rumors of a new treatment and had eagerly sought help, but then disappeared without a word. There had to be something he was missing. He cringed as he heard Brennan pace by the lab and hit the wall yet again.
"Damn," Brennan shook his hand, observing the bruised knuckles with something akin to curiosity. Strangely enough, it was the first thing he had really felt in two days. He dropped his hands back to his side and resumed his endless pacing, barely noticing the fact that he had just punched his sixth hole in the hallway wall.
When the Martins had shown up at their apartment doorstep, claiming to know about her, Shalimar had been immediately intrigued. She had already been drawn to the elderly couple during the time she and Brennan spent with them while investigating, and now they shared a common bond—mutancy. When Shalimar had flashed her eyes at Brennan when they were returning from the park, she had no idea Mrs. Martin had actually seen her golden eyes and understood what she was. She had been an obvious choice for help in their eyes, and when they asked her, she couldn't refuse. Their daughter had undergone experimental gene therapy while still in the womb, and was a mutant. When they went back to Genomex for answers, Carrie had been drawn to their supposed vision, and had joined willingly, only later to learn the true ugliness of the GSA. She had been podded eventually for trying to escape, and had only been set free when Eckhart himself was podded for a while. For a while all seemed like heaven to the small family, until the pain began; it was discovered that Carrie's body was mutating again, and could not be stabilized. In desperation, they sought out the help of a mysterious woman named Dominique. She had met with some contacts, but had not been heard from since. The plea had been too much for Shalimar to resist, not only the idea of helping the Martins, but also the chance of finding stabilization for all of them. The near loss of Brennan last year still gave her nightmares, and with the loss of Adam and Emma, they were at an even greater risk the next time one of them again mutated. They all knew it was not a matter of if, but when. She could not risk losing anyone else; she could not go through that kind of pain, not again.
"I'd rather die," she gritted between clenched teeth as she pulled weakly against the chains, lost in the hazy memory into which her mind had retreated.
"Oh, don't worry, my pretty," a thin voice cackled, as rough hands stroked the side of her face as she trembled instinctually, "it hasn't come to that, not yet anyway." The hands tightened their hold on her face, nails digging into tender flesh until she screamed out loud in pain.
Brennan shot upright suddenly, drenched in sweat and feeling his heart pound painfully against his chest in rapid staccato. Shalimar was in pain. He didn't know how, but somehow he knew it with a deadly certainty. He rubbed his tired eyes, forcing them to remain open, even as he pushed his weary body back up and out of bed and headed towards the lab in determination.
Jesse sighed as he heard Brennan's approaching footsteps and pushed back from the computer terminal, preparing to go through another battle of wills with Brennan. He had finally gotten him to go to bed, after hours of pacing and arguing, but only a few shorts hours, and he was coming back for more. He nodded to Lexa as she appeared at his side and together they turned to face Brennan as he walked into the lab.
Brennan stopped short when he saw the two of them greet him with crossed arms.
"Ganging up on me now?" he raised his eyebrows in utter disdain.
"Stop it Brennan," Jesse warned. "Nothing has changed; we will continue to wait."
Brennan narrowed his eyes dangerously; Lexa subconsciously winced but held firm in her stance.
"We don't have time for this," Brennan gritted, "Shalimar is in pain, and she needs help."
"We don't know that Brennan," Jesse sighed, tired of the same argument. "What I do know is that this," he waved his hand indicating their standoff, "is taking up valuable time better spent on searching."
"Brennan," Lexa tried, "Shalimar is under deep cover. We knew she might not be able to contact us for some time. We have no indication she is in any danger."
"And we have no indication she's not!" Brennan angrily yelled back, stepping right up into Lexa's face. She stood still, meeting his glare head on. Finally he turned tightly on his heel and strode back out of the lab.
After the Martin's had left their apartment, Shalimar had wasted no time getting the contact information they had given her to Jesse. She had wanted to arrange a meeting with the mysterious contact as soon as possible, despite Brennan's obvious disapproval. To his credit though, he never once tried to stop her. Rather, he did everything he could to ensure the meeting would go smoothly for her and worked with Jesse to create a plausible cover story for her. That trust spoke volumes to Shalimar, and despite the deep feeling of betrayal she still struggled to hide, she knew she was in love with the man. Shalimar knew she had to win this struggle, for him, for herself. She fought to regain full consciousness, even as the blackness pulled her back into the land of dream and temptation. It was so much easier than reality, her weary brain reasoned. Her body twitched in desperation, fighting the darkness that overwhelmed her; all she knew was pain. She moaned in frustration, angry that her body had betrayed her.
Brennan tapped his fingers restlessly against the couch he had finally ended up on out of sheer exhaustion. He had snuck out for a while and had recently returned, but as weary as he was, he could not stay still. He sat there for a few more minutes before making up his mind and leaping to his feet. He had to find her. He purposely strode down the hallway towards the garage, only to be stopped short by Lexa standing in front of him.
"You know," he rasped out with thinly veiled patience, "I am getting awfully tired of you being in my way."
Lexa raised her chin an inch higher, refusing to be intimidated. "Jesse!" She called.
Brennan glared at her and began to step around her, only to find himself face to face with Jesse next.
"You can't stop me."
Jesse sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Brennan, I don't have time to keep doing this. You are not helping, at all. You want to help Shalimar, then back off," He ended with clenched teeth.
Brennan's fist lifted and took aim before he even knew what he was doing. "Argh!" he suddenly screamed as he dropped to the floor in shooting pain, cradling his hand as he turned bloodshot eyes up at Jesse's massed body.
Jesse released his breath slowly, the red veins dissipating as he dropped to his knees beside Brennan. "Sorry," he shrugged his shoulders, at a loss for words.
Lexa joined them on the ground, gently grasping Brennan's crushed hand to examine it, but Brennan pulled it back before she could say anything. He struggled to push himself back to his feet.
"I'm still going." He stumbled back a few steps, producing a small tesla coil in his undamaged hand. "You can't stop me," he repeated. He turned around and began to walk away.
"Brennan, please." Jesse's soft voice rang out and broke through his irrational mind. He stopped, shoulders slumped in defeat. Jesse walked up to his and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "We all care about her," he quietly reminded. "We're not the enemy."
Brennan turned around and braced his arms on Jesse's shoulders for a moment, nodding in understanding and apology, and then pulled away.
"Look guys," he helplessly appealed, "I know it doesn't make any sense, but I know that Shalimar is in danger. She—she's in pain. She's calling for me," his voice trailed away and he closed his eyes for a moment. They popped open again with renewed determination. "Whether you believe me or not, whether you help me or not, I have to go to her."
Lexa blinked in sudden surprise. She wasn't sure, but she could have sworn she just saw a flash of lightening streaking through Brennan's eyes. She glanced over at Jesse in silent communication for a moment before turning back to Brennan. "Ok," she finally agreed, "let's go find her."
"Good," Brennan stared back at them with frightening calm. "Let's go." He whirled around and headed back in the direction of the garage as if the whole confrontation had never happened.
Shalimar wasn't exactly sure when her feelings had started to change towards Brennan, but she knew with quiet certainty that she needed him in her life. But despite his show of faith in her abilities, she was afraid to trust him with her heart. Granted, he had been working hard to win her over lately, and she found it hard to resist him. She just needed time to believe in his intentions. She regretted now not being able to finish the conversation they had started. She needed to tell him why she was so upset with him, to get it all out in the open once and for all. She had thought she could ignore it, but now knew she could never truly let it go until she knew the truth from him. She had to talk to him, to learn to somehow forgive him, so they could move on.
"Brennan," she murmured softly in her dazed dream state. She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder and briefly opened her eyes and attempted to focus on the indistinct figure in front of her.
"Brennan?" she repeated, squinting her eyes furiously.
The shadow disappeared from her line of vision, and then she faintly registered voices in disjointed sounds that mingled with the audible pounding in her head.
"She lied," one voice confirmed. "She's not who she said she was; the meeting was a setup."
Her muddled brain struggled to grasp what the figures were saying. "Not Brennan," she weakly argued in painful disappointment.
The voices paused for a moment, but then continued, amused at her obvious confusion.
"—thinks the girl is—Mutant X," Shalimar's brain managed to register from the blur of sound. "Need to get rid of—," her head dropped back down in exhaustion, unable to focus anymore. She heard nothing but a dull roar for quite a while, but jerked slightly when a hand again landed on her shoulder.
"What do you want," she struggled to speak against the rush of nausea that washed over her from the sudden movement.
The figure said nothing, but the hand moved slowly, purposely down her shoulder, stopping to grope a breast, then moving down to stroke her flat stomach.
Shalimar whimpered in fearful disgust, stiffening when the hand began to move lower yet. She bit her lip in rage, and despite the tearing pain in her shoulders from the chains holding her to the wall, lifted her legs to kick the figure away. Instantly the governor went off, sending shooting streaks of pain running throughout her body, and she writhed against the filthy wall, fingers curling in spastic agony. Finally after long moments her body stopped convulsing, and she again raised her face and attempted to focus on the space around her. She could see nothing, and she slumped back against the wall in relief. The figure was gone, at least for now. She panted for several short breaths and managed to grin in small victory before succumbing to the darkness that danced in teasing spots before her burning eyes.
Back in the shadows, the figure smiled.