THE CALM AFTER THE STORM
The lights were dim, softly illuminating the room. Candles sat on the surfaces of tables around the room, creating a soft glow that made the atmosphere that much more relaxing.
The only thing that ruined the atmosphere was the explosion that erupted from the surround sound speakers frequently. The flashes from them on the screen lit up the faces of the two slouched figures on the couch, a bowl of popcorn overflowing between them, untouched.
They weren't really focusing on the movie, or the popcorn for that matter, but on the events of the past few days. It had been unusual, and trying on the two of them. True, they were not the only two to be affected, but it seemed to have hit them harder.
Jesse Kilmartin sat slouched into the soft cushions, his arms crossed loosely over his chest, face glum. His soft hair was tucked away from his eyes now, cleared from his vision. He felt warm and comfortable in his baggy sweater and jeans; glad to rid of the leather pants he had been wearing not so long ago.
He sighed ever so softly, and cast a momentary glance at his companion. He looked back to the television screen regretfully, wishing to banish the memories of the past few days form his mind completely. He had done things he had never thought possible of himself, and he hated himself deeply for it. He had hurt the people closest to him.
Claire Marlow sat at the other end of the couch, her feet up on the cushions, her legs curled up beside her cosily. She picked at her socks subconsciously as she recalled how she had treated the people she loved.
The other hand fiddled slowly with a feathered strand of her blonde hair, and she stared at it for a while, watching it catch the glow of the candles, and reflecting it gracefully. She sighed.
Claire didn't know how she could hope to begin winning back the trust of her closest friends. One of them was sat not three feet away now. She looked over with blue-green eyes, frowning. Her eyes travelled to her ring next, reactivated and back in its rightful place.
Suddenly, Jesse looked across to her and blurted, "I'm sorry."
She looked to him like a startled rabbit, and fumbled for a moment before saying, "Jesse, I'm the one who should be apologising. I acted like such a."
She searched her mind for a word, and then continued, "Bitch. I was a bitch. I can't believe how I treated you. I acted as though you were nothing, and I hate myself for that."
He smiled that sweet smile of his, and sat up a little straighter in the chair. "Are you kidding? I acted like a moron."
At that moment, she moved across the couch, and hugged him tightly.
He hugged her back; glad there were no hard feelings between them. Ever since Claire had joined Mutant X, the two had been fast friends. They had spent many an hour laughing and joking and training together.
"Are we missing something?" came the mischievous voice of Shalimar as she and the others entered the recreation room.
Claire and Jesse broke off from their hug, and realised they had managed to avoid spilling the bowl of popcorn, miraculously enough.
They smiled at the others, rather weakly.
Natty bounded into the room, her baggy training trousers a little out of place in the room. She ran right over to Jesse, and kissed him.
"I'm so glad you're okay," she said excitedly, and latched her arms around him, seemingly unwilling to let go anytime soon.
Jesse looked stunned at her behaviour, and he asked, "Aren't you mad at me?"
Natty looked at him, and laughed. "How can I be mad at you? You weren't yourself, silly." She patted him on the shoulder playfully, and kissed him again.
Shalimar smiled, looking to Emma. The two seated themselves on the second couch, taking the bowl of popcorn with them. They soon turned their attention to the screen, immediately attracted by the loud noises and flashing lights.
Jesse grinned like an idiot, as Natty snuggled up to him, taking up the middle of the couch, drawing her feet up on the sofa too, her head rested on Jesse's shoulder.
Claire watched the two happily, and jumped slightly when she felt the hand wrap around hers, taking it away from her hair.
She looked up into the loving eyes of Brennan, just before he kissed the top of her head gently.
Her brow furrowed, shortly before Brennan motioned for her to stand. She did so obediently, and watched as Brennan sat in her seat.
Looking back down at him, she wondered if this was her punishment for the way she had acted lately.
But then Brennan patted his lap, inviting her to sit on it.
She smiled happily, and took her place on his lap, leaning back comfortably on his chest.
They conversed for a while, seated comfortably in the wanly lit room. Apologies were exchanged, and accepted gladly, laughter following as popcorn was thrown playfully across the room. Of course, the buttery snack was launched back in the direction it had come from, in retaliation.
After a while though, the popcorn-fight died down, and their attention returned to the television once more.
"So, what're we watching?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jesse laughed, as though her lack of knowledge amused him. "It's Independence Day. You can't tell me you haven't seen this movie."
Emma looked to him with blue eyes and shrugged.
Rolling his eyes, Jesse settled back comfortably with Natasha.
The conversation died right down at that point, all concentration on the movie, minds floating away from the incident that had most recently threatened their team.
Once again though, they had triumphed over the odds, showing just how strong they really were at heart. Nothing could tear them apart. Eckhart hadn't managed it yet, so what hope had Eric Sampson really had?
One thing was for sure; they knew they wouldn't be hearing from him again any time soon. Adam had seen to that.
Adam cared for them like a father, and they loved him dearly for all he had ever done for them. He had given them hope, a place to live, and more importantly, a purpose.
Everything was as it should be again.
* * *
Watching from the doorway, leaned against the frame, and smiling happily, Adam sighed contently.
He knew he was lucky. He had amazing people with unique, amazing talents who would do anything for him. Adam had no idea why he even deserved such loyalty.
But he knew one thing.
He would do anything to protect his family.
The lights were dim, softly illuminating the room. Candles sat on the surfaces of tables around the room, creating a soft glow that made the atmosphere that much more relaxing.
The only thing that ruined the atmosphere was the explosion that erupted from the surround sound speakers frequently. The flashes from them on the screen lit up the faces of the two slouched figures on the couch, a bowl of popcorn overflowing between them, untouched.
They weren't really focusing on the movie, or the popcorn for that matter, but on the events of the past few days. It had been unusual, and trying on the two of them. True, they were not the only two to be affected, but it seemed to have hit them harder.
Jesse Kilmartin sat slouched into the soft cushions, his arms crossed loosely over his chest, face glum. His soft hair was tucked away from his eyes now, cleared from his vision. He felt warm and comfortable in his baggy sweater and jeans; glad to rid of the leather pants he had been wearing not so long ago.
He sighed ever so softly, and cast a momentary glance at his companion. He looked back to the television screen regretfully, wishing to banish the memories of the past few days form his mind completely. He had done things he had never thought possible of himself, and he hated himself deeply for it. He had hurt the people closest to him.
Claire Marlow sat at the other end of the couch, her feet up on the cushions, her legs curled up beside her cosily. She picked at her socks subconsciously as she recalled how she had treated the people she loved.
The other hand fiddled slowly with a feathered strand of her blonde hair, and she stared at it for a while, watching it catch the glow of the candles, and reflecting it gracefully. She sighed.
Claire didn't know how she could hope to begin winning back the trust of her closest friends. One of them was sat not three feet away now. She looked over with blue-green eyes, frowning. Her eyes travelled to her ring next, reactivated and back in its rightful place.
Suddenly, Jesse looked across to her and blurted, "I'm sorry."
She looked to him like a startled rabbit, and fumbled for a moment before saying, "Jesse, I'm the one who should be apologising. I acted like such a."
She searched her mind for a word, and then continued, "Bitch. I was a bitch. I can't believe how I treated you. I acted as though you were nothing, and I hate myself for that."
He smiled that sweet smile of his, and sat up a little straighter in the chair. "Are you kidding? I acted like a moron."
At that moment, she moved across the couch, and hugged him tightly.
He hugged her back; glad there were no hard feelings between them. Ever since Claire had joined Mutant X, the two had been fast friends. They had spent many an hour laughing and joking and training together.
"Are we missing something?" came the mischievous voice of Shalimar as she and the others entered the recreation room.
Claire and Jesse broke off from their hug, and realised they had managed to avoid spilling the bowl of popcorn, miraculously enough.
They smiled at the others, rather weakly.
Natty bounded into the room, her baggy training trousers a little out of place in the room. She ran right over to Jesse, and kissed him.
"I'm so glad you're okay," she said excitedly, and latched her arms around him, seemingly unwilling to let go anytime soon.
Jesse looked stunned at her behaviour, and he asked, "Aren't you mad at me?"
Natty looked at him, and laughed. "How can I be mad at you? You weren't yourself, silly." She patted him on the shoulder playfully, and kissed him again.
Shalimar smiled, looking to Emma. The two seated themselves on the second couch, taking the bowl of popcorn with them. They soon turned their attention to the screen, immediately attracted by the loud noises and flashing lights.
Jesse grinned like an idiot, as Natty snuggled up to him, taking up the middle of the couch, drawing her feet up on the sofa too, her head rested on Jesse's shoulder.
Claire watched the two happily, and jumped slightly when she felt the hand wrap around hers, taking it away from her hair.
She looked up into the loving eyes of Brennan, just before he kissed the top of her head gently.
Her brow furrowed, shortly before Brennan motioned for her to stand. She did so obediently, and watched as Brennan sat in her seat.
Looking back down at him, she wondered if this was her punishment for the way she had acted lately.
But then Brennan patted his lap, inviting her to sit on it.
She smiled happily, and took her place on his lap, leaning back comfortably on his chest.
They conversed for a while, seated comfortably in the wanly lit room. Apologies were exchanged, and accepted gladly, laughter following as popcorn was thrown playfully across the room. Of course, the buttery snack was launched back in the direction it had come from, in retaliation.
After a while though, the popcorn-fight died down, and their attention returned to the television once more.
"So, what're we watching?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jesse laughed, as though her lack of knowledge amused him. "It's Independence Day. You can't tell me you haven't seen this movie."
Emma looked to him with blue eyes and shrugged.
Rolling his eyes, Jesse settled back comfortably with Natasha.
The conversation died right down at that point, all concentration on the movie, minds floating away from the incident that had most recently threatened their team.
Once again though, they had triumphed over the odds, showing just how strong they really were at heart. Nothing could tear them apart. Eckhart hadn't managed it yet, so what hope had Eric Sampson really had?
One thing was for sure; they knew they wouldn't be hearing from him again any time soon. Adam had seen to that.
Adam cared for them like a father, and they loved him dearly for all he had ever done for them. He had given them hope, a place to live, and more importantly, a purpose.
Everything was as it should be again.
* * *
Watching from the doorway, leaned against the frame, and smiling happily, Adam sighed contently.
He knew he was lucky. He had amazing people with unique, amazing talents who would do anything for him. Adam had no idea why he even deserved such loyalty.
But he knew one thing.
He would do anything to protect his family.