THE EARLY BIRDS.
With a yawn, she stepped out of her room, sliding the door closed behind her, and was soon taken into a morning embrace by a tall handsome man.
She laughed quietly, looking up into the soulful brown eyes of Brennan Mulwray. He was feeling mischievous, she could tell, just by the look on his face. He was wearing an idiotic grin, and hopped slightly on his toes.
"Good morning," she said to him, roughing up his hair, having to stretch to reach.
He picked her up, and spun her round once, setting her down gently again onto the clean floor, replying, "Good morning to you."
She giggled. "What's wrong with you?"
"Whadda you mean?" he asked, running a finger down her cheek.
Claire Marlow smiled, and said, "You're awfully playful."
He cocked his head, and bit his lip gently. "Well, I just missed you, that's all."
She rolled her eyes. "But we only saw each other last night."
He grinned again, and then pulled a puppy-dog face. "But I still missed you." He seemed to notice for the first time that she was dressed in a bathrobe. "What're you doing?"
"I'm going to take a shower, if that's okay with you?" she replied, kissing him quickly, stepping around him with ease, despite his effort to block her way.
Claire walked away from the playful Brennan, who simply watcher her go longingly. He got like that in the morning, mostly. It was usually after a fight the previous night, which hadn't happened in while, so she was puzzled as to why he was acting so strangely.
As she passed the dining area, she noticed Natasha Jackman and Jesse Kilmartin eating breaking together, conversing quietly, Jesse's hand on Natasha's knee gently. She leaned over and kissed him softly, and then returned to her breakfast.
She carried on her way without interrupting the two lovers, and went to take her morning shower.
* * *
Shalimar Fox stretched, bouncing down the steps from the training area, in her workout clothes, ready for some nourishment. She realised she could go for a glass of milk, and smiled when she realised just how feline of her that was. She strolled lightly towards the kitchen.
"Morning, Shal'," a cheery voice called to her from the dining area, and she turned to see a rather tousled Jesse, just out of bed from the look of it. Next to him, seated comfortably on one of their cushions, was Natty, already cleaned and dressed. Apparently, she had woken Jesse after sitting up for quite some time. The molecular still looked quite sleepy, but the psionic was wide awake, and smiling happily.
"Morning, you two," Shalimar replied just as cheerily, and passed by on her way to collect her glass of milk.
She soon returned, holding a tall glass, half filled with fresh cold white milk. She walked over to the low table, and looked down at the two patiently, until Jesse noticed her once again.
"Oh," he said suddenly, and indicated the seat opposite them.
She sat cross-legged, and sipped her milk, watching the two laugh and whisper into each other's ears.
She cleared her throat ever so gently, and looked at her sneakers, simply observing something other than the two lovers.
They had been inseparable ever since Natty had joined their ranks, which had been just over two months ago, after they had rescued her from Genomex, and the evil clutches of Mason Eckhart.
"Sleep well?" Jesse asked her, taking a break from Natty as the young woman cleared up their breakfast cutlery.
Shalimar looked up immediately, and smiled politely. "Like a baby."
He nodded in acknowledgement, and quickly accepted the warm mug of coffee from Natty when she returned.
"Morning guys!" came a happy voice, and Emma deLauro walked up to them, and seated herself.
Shalimar smiled in reply, nodding, sipping her cool milk again, and finding it refreshing.
The only ones missing now were Brennan and Claire. Obviously Adam was absent, but he was probably in the lab, working on some DNA samples, or looking up another New Mutant like he usually did. He never took a rest.
* * *
Adam looked up from his test tube, and smiled. He decided it was time for a cup of coffee, and exited the laboratory, heading straight to the kitchen.
On his way, he noticed four members of Mutant X sitting around the dining table. Only the elementals, Brennan and Claire, were missing, and he found himself curious as to their whereabouts.
Brennan was probably still asleep, he realised, remembering how much the male elemental adored his sleep.
He started quite violently when he entered the spotless kitchen to find Brennan Mulwray sitting on one of the marble counters.
"Brennan, you scared me," Adam said with a slight smile.
Brennan looked up from his mug of steaming coffee, and smiled at the corner of his mouth.
"Is something wrong?" Adam asked, crossing to Brennan, and leaning against the counter himself.
Brennan glanced to him again, and laughed gently. "Nah, I'm just tired." He rubbed his eyes, confirming his own explanation.
"Okay," Adam acknowledged, and poured himself some coffee from the percolator.
"Where's Claire?" Adam asked then, looking around to see if the other elemental was concealed somewhere in the corner. The elementals of Mutant X were probably the most likely to pull practical jokes on just about any of the others, including Adam. Harmless fun really, nothing dangerous or too extreme.
"She's takin' a shower," Brennan explained, and sipped his coffee. He set the mug down, and started to play absent-mindedly with one of his bracelets on his wrist, clearly having nothing better to do with his time.
Adam nodded, and left Brennan to his thoughts, thinking to himself that something was wrong with the tall man. But as to what that was, Adam was clueless. He had no way of telling whether or not Brennan really was just tired, or whether something more serious was bothering him.
Adam realised suddenly that he was probably just worrying too much, and that there was nothing to worry about. What could possibly be wrong with Brennan?
But if the problem persisted, Adam decided he should ask Emma for some assistance in finding out the real problem.
With a yawn, she stepped out of her room, sliding the door closed behind her, and was soon taken into a morning embrace by a tall handsome man.
She laughed quietly, looking up into the soulful brown eyes of Brennan Mulwray. He was feeling mischievous, she could tell, just by the look on his face. He was wearing an idiotic grin, and hopped slightly on his toes.
"Good morning," she said to him, roughing up his hair, having to stretch to reach.
He picked her up, and spun her round once, setting her down gently again onto the clean floor, replying, "Good morning to you."
She giggled. "What's wrong with you?"
"Whadda you mean?" he asked, running a finger down her cheek.
Claire Marlow smiled, and said, "You're awfully playful."
He cocked his head, and bit his lip gently. "Well, I just missed you, that's all."
She rolled her eyes. "But we only saw each other last night."
He grinned again, and then pulled a puppy-dog face. "But I still missed you." He seemed to notice for the first time that she was dressed in a bathrobe. "What're you doing?"
"I'm going to take a shower, if that's okay with you?" she replied, kissing him quickly, stepping around him with ease, despite his effort to block her way.
Claire walked away from the playful Brennan, who simply watcher her go longingly. He got like that in the morning, mostly. It was usually after a fight the previous night, which hadn't happened in while, so she was puzzled as to why he was acting so strangely.
As she passed the dining area, she noticed Natasha Jackman and Jesse Kilmartin eating breaking together, conversing quietly, Jesse's hand on Natasha's knee gently. She leaned over and kissed him softly, and then returned to her breakfast.
She carried on her way without interrupting the two lovers, and went to take her morning shower.
* * *
Shalimar Fox stretched, bouncing down the steps from the training area, in her workout clothes, ready for some nourishment. She realised she could go for a glass of milk, and smiled when she realised just how feline of her that was. She strolled lightly towards the kitchen.
"Morning, Shal'," a cheery voice called to her from the dining area, and she turned to see a rather tousled Jesse, just out of bed from the look of it. Next to him, seated comfortably on one of their cushions, was Natty, already cleaned and dressed. Apparently, she had woken Jesse after sitting up for quite some time. The molecular still looked quite sleepy, but the psionic was wide awake, and smiling happily.
"Morning, you two," Shalimar replied just as cheerily, and passed by on her way to collect her glass of milk.
She soon returned, holding a tall glass, half filled with fresh cold white milk. She walked over to the low table, and looked down at the two patiently, until Jesse noticed her once again.
"Oh," he said suddenly, and indicated the seat opposite them.
She sat cross-legged, and sipped her milk, watching the two laugh and whisper into each other's ears.
She cleared her throat ever so gently, and looked at her sneakers, simply observing something other than the two lovers.
They had been inseparable ever since Natty had joined their ranks, which had been just over two months ago, after they had rescued her from Genomex, and the evil clutches of Mason Eckhart.
"Sleep well?" Jesse asked her, taking a break from Natty as the young woman cleared up their breakfast cutlery.
Shalimar looked up immediately, and smiled politely. "Like a baby."
He nodded in acknowledgement, and quickly accepted the warm mug of coffee from Natty when she returned.
"Morning guys!" came a happy voice, and Emma deLauro walked up to them, and seated herself.
Shalimar smiled in reply, nodding, sipping her cool milk again, and finding it refreshing.
The only ones missing now were Brennan and Claire. Obviously Adam was absent, but he was probably in the lab, working on some DNA samples, or looking up another New Mutant like he usually did. He never took a rest.
* * *
Adam looked up from his test tube, and smiled. He decided it was time for a cup of coffee, and exited the laboratory, heading straight to the kitchen.
On his way, he noticed four members of Mutant X sitting around the dining table. Only the elementals, Brennan and Claire, were missing, and he found himself curious as to their whereabouts.
Brennan was probably still asleep, he realised, remembering how much the male elemental adored his sleep.
He started quite violently when he entered the spotless kitchen to find Brennan Mulwray sitting on one of the marble counters.
"Brennan, you scared me," Adam said with a slight smile.
Brennan looked up from his mug of steaming coffee, and smiled at the corner of his mouth.
"Is something wrong?" Adam asked, crossing to Brennan, and leaning against the counter himself.
Brennan glanced to him again, and laughed gently. "Nah, I'm just tired." He rubbed his eyes, confirming his own explanation.
"Okay," Adam acknowledged, and poured himself some coffee from the percolator.
"Where's Claire?" Adam asked then, looking around to see if the other elemental was concealed somewhere in the corner. The elementals of Mutant X were probably the most likely to pull practical jokes on just about any of the others, including Adam. Harmless fun really, nothing dangerous or too extreme.
"She's takin' a shower," Brennan explained, and sipped his coffee. He set the mug down, and started to play absent-mindedly with one of his bracelets on his wrist, clearly having nothing better to do with his time.
Adam nodded, and left Brennan to his thoughts, thinking to himself that something was wrong with the tall man. But as to what that was, Adam was clueless. He had no way of telling whether or not Brennan really was just tired, or whether something more serious was bothering him.
Adam realised suddenly that he was probably just worrying too much, and that there was nothing to worry about. What could possibly be wrong with Brennan?
But if the problem persisted, Adam decided he should ask Emma for some assistance in finding out the real problem.