Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters, and I'm not making any money from them. Any similarities in plot are unintentional. If you want to use any parts of this fic, please ask.
As the team returned to Sanctuary, the Double Helix was engulfed in an awkward silence. Emma sighed. Someone had to go first; it might as well be she. "Well, that went just smashingly, don't you think," she commented dryly into the void. "I think we need to talk about what happened tonight. Adam, those GSA thugs had Mutant X on their minds from the moment they got out of their flashy cars. There was no indication that they were expecting any other New Mutants. From what you told me before I left on my date, there were supposed to be three ferals waiting. I don't have to be a feral to smell a set up here. Do you know who your source was?"
Adam quickly accepted the change in topic. "No. Our tip came in through a Proxy Blue account. I'll see if I can trace it back to the source when we get to the lab. Then, I think I'll have to reevaluate my screening process. This can't happen again. We were very lucky that you four can think on your feet."
Shalimar grinned. "I wonder what those agents are doing now. Eckhart has got to be fuming. That's his third miss this week!"
Adam frowned. "That's why we have to be even more careful. The angrier he gets, the more dangerous this situation becomes. I want you all to be doubly careful until this blows over. We can't afford to take any risks until we find the leak." The team reluctantly agreed and a more companionable silence descended as they entered Sanctuary.
* * *
"Where's Emma?" Jesse asked as he walked into the kitchen the next morning. It wasn't often he beat the early bird of the team to breakfast.
"She said she wasn't hungry. I think she's too bummed about Derrick to think about food," Shalimar responded, taking a bite of her scrambled eggs.
"Well, he isn't worth it. She's a great girl, and if he can't see that, it's his loss," Jesse commented hotly.
"We all know that, but we can't change how Emma feels about his reaction. I'm sure she'll come around. We just need to give her some time."
Brennan popped his head into the kitchen and he snagged a piece of toast from Jesse. "Hey guys, anyone seen Emma?"
"She said she wanted to sleep in this morning," Shalimar answered. "I suppose she's still in her room. Why?"
"I just stopped by her room to see if she wanted to practice, since we're practically on house arrest. Her bed's all made up, but clothes are scattered all over and there's no sign of Emma."
Shalimar frowned. "Adam," she spoke, activating her comlink, "is Emma in the lab with you?"
"No, check her room. She said something about sleeping in, I think."
"Already did." Shalimar rose to her feet. "Emma, where are you?" she spoke again into the link. There was no response.
Jesse and Brennan exchanged glances. "I'll see if the computer can trace her," Jesse said, moving to a console.
"I'll check her room again," Brennan added, quickly leaving the kitchen.
"Adam," Shalimar called. "You'd better come up here. I think Emma's gone." She moved to stand over Jesse's shoulder as his fingers flew over the keyboard.
"I can't get a lock on her location. There's some sort of interference," he muttered angrily under his breath as he switched screens, looking for some other way to access the locator on her comlink.
Brennan reentered the room, waving a small piece of paper. "She left a note on her mirror. That's why I didn't see it the first time. Says she's gone to meet Derrick. Evidently, he wants to apologize. She says she didn't want to freak him out by bringing an escort."
"I can't believe she fell for that line again!" Jesse exploded. "You'd think she would have learned her lesson after Michelle."
"Jesse, this is a totally different situation," Shalimar retorted. "She's in love with Derrick."
Jesse opened his mouth to comment, but Adam cut him off as he entered from the lab. "Look, her reasons don't matter now. We have to find her and fast. It's not safe for her to be on her own when the GSA is hunting for Mutant X. I think we may be able to get a fix on her from the Double Helix. If not, we can stop by Derrick's and get some answers." As one, they all left Sanctuary.
* * *
Emma shot a glance around the dimly lit restaurant. She tried to tell herself that the feeling in the pit of her stomach was hunger, not anxiety. Something didn't feel right about this, and she didn't think it was just the guilty conscience she was dragging about for sneaking out of Sanctuary. She sighed. Well, there was nothing else to do now except follow through. Her quick glance around showed no one familiar in the restaurant and she wasn't getting any GSA vibes, so she walked into the room. A hostess quickly seated her at a cozy table facing the door and she casually scanned a brightly colored menu as she waited for Derrick to arrive.
Emma couldn't control the butterflies in her stomach as she thought about the upcoming confrontation. Frankly, she wasn't sure what to expect. Ideally, she hoped that Derrick would forgive her and they could take up where they had left off. However, she mentally prepared herself for other, less pleasant, outcomes.
Her waitress arrived, requesting her drink order. After ordering a coffee, she glanced up just in time to watch as the hostess pointed her table out to Derrick. He smiled uncertainly and began to walk towards Emma's table.
* * *
Adam tensely steered the Double Helix towards the city. "Jesse, check to see if the GSA lists any activity in Derrick's neighborhood in the last 48 hours. If the GSA got to him, I want to know about it. I can't shake the feeling that we're all walking into a trap."
Jesse nodded and hacked into the GSA system. He scanned for a few moments and sighed. "Nothing. There is no mention of him at all, not by neighborhood, description, or name. He seems to be clear."
"Keep looking. We still can't reach Emma's comlink, and I don't think this is a simple systems glitch. Something is blocking us. See if you can find out what. Brennan, see if there are any know GSA activities going on right now. Take the south side of the city. Shal, check the north.
"Come on Emma, let us know where you are," he muttered under his breath as he turned his attention to getting them back to the city in record time.
* * *
Emma didn't speak as she watched Derrick seat himself across from her. Her eyes followed each movement, searching for some indication of what he was thinking. She even cheated and opened herself up to her talent, but he was strangely unreadable, as if he were keeping himself under tight control. That wasn't a good sign.
"So," she opened, taking a sip of her coffee.
"So," Derrick mimicked. "I guess you're wondering why I called you here."
"I have to confess, I am curious. The last time I saw you, it seemed like you might never want to see me again."
Derrick had the grace to look away. "I know; I was a jerk. But you have to admit that I had a lot to absorb. You could've given me a hint, you know," he said. Emma looked at him in surprise. She could swear he was actually teasing her.
"You forgive me?" she asked in disbelief.
"I understand why you didn't tell me," he corrected. "I don't like that you did it, but I understand. I don't want this to stand in the way of our relationship."
"I don't either," Emma agreed.
"Good, I'm glad to hear you say that." Emma stiffened as Derrick turned to give a wave to someone by the door. She watched in horror as five armed GSA agents headed their way. She had been too distracted to notice their entrance and now she was paying for it.
She turned confused blue eyes on her friend as she rose to her feet, "I don't understand," she whispered in shock as she turned to flee. She got no further than two steps away when strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her into an impossible tight embrace.
"They're going to help us be together," Derrick whispered into her ear. She struggled futilely against his superior strength, her panicked mind unable to focus enough to free her as the GSA agents encircled them. One man grabbed her chin and forced her head to the side as a second shot a subdermal governor into the back of her neck. The air hissed out of her throat at the unexpected pain. The distraction was enough for the men to snap handcuffs around her slender wrists as an added precaution. A third man flashed a badge at the gawking patrons of the restaurant as they hurried Emma outside.
The shock of betrayal may have given her enemies time to neutralize her abilities, but her mind was strong enough to remember the silver comlink that was encircling her finger. A quick rub was all it took to activate it.
* * *
The Double Helix began another fly over of the city, but there was still no sign of their missing teammate. Shalimar sighed in frustration as her computer search revealed nothing.
"Ok," Jesse commented almost to himself. "We know Emma had her comlink when she left. We should be able to locate a signal from it as long as she's in range 'cause it's configured to her DNA alone. We know the whole city is in range. We can assume that she isn't dead; Eckhart wants her too much to just let her be killed and he'll probably try to convert her before he pods her….so, why can't we find her signal?"
"Thanks for the synopsis, Captain Obvious," Brennan practically growled.
"Hush," Jesse shot him a glare," I'm thinking." Suddenly he sat up straight in his chair and started typing frantically. After a few seconds, he turned to his teammates with triumph written all over his face. "There!" He directed their attention to an older section of town. "I think that her comlink could be blocked if there are enough thing to interfere with the signal. That section of town is the oldest. There are still old radio and cell phone towers there that have not been converted. The area also has the highest level of noise pollution anywhere in the city. I say we start there."
"It's a good an idea as any," Adam acknowledged as he directed the Double Helix to the area indicated on Jesse's screen.
They had only flown a couple of seconds when a shaky voice filled the cabin of the craft. "…understand is why you brought the GSA? Don't you know they want to lock me up?" The response to her question was lost, but that didn't matter to her friends. They were just relieved to hear her voice. "Hey driver," she continued, just as if she were riding in a cab, "the last time I checked, the GSA didn't have holding south of the river. Mind telling me why we're headed into the slums?"
Jesse grinned. His hunch had been right. The area she was leaving was just north of the slums. Even as he checked his map of the city a bright green indicator light began to flash, pointing out the location of their missing teammate.
"Well done, Emma," Adam whispered as he directed the Double Helix toward that precious indicator light. Now, if only they could get there in time…