Author's Note: Well, I surprised myself in that last chapter. That's not at all where I had planned on going! But this fanfic is really writing itself, and I like how it's going, so who am I to argue with my fingers, which type stories without my say-so? I hope you liked last chapter (longer!!). I apologize in advance for the extreme shortness of this chapter, and how long it took me to get it up, but I had to fit these tiny scenes in somewhere. The action comes in next chapter.

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"Don't tell Brennan." Adam said. Emma didn't have to be told twice. She saw into people's minds every day, she didn't have to be reminded of what this knowledge could do to Brennan. He could go revenge-crazy, or he'd get freaked out and run for the hills, though with Brennan, the latter was not likely. Or nothing would happen, but they couldn't take the chance that something might.

Adam looked over at Shalimar. "Shal, did you hear? Don't tell him. It's important."

Shalimar whirled around to face Adam. "Don't you think he has a right to know? If some feral serial-killer was out there, I would want to know!"

"And I would want to tell you, but I don't want Brennan running off trying to save a bunch of elementals, and then getting killed!" Adam shot back. "And that would be worse than him not knowing at all!"

"He'll find out eventually, you know." Shalimar wouldn't give up the fight.

"Not from us, he won't." Adam insisted.

"Too late." Everyone in the lab froze at the sound of Brennan's voice. "Now you might as well tell me what Shalimar meant about me running off to save a bunch of elementals, because otherwise I will find out."

All three of them opened their mouths at once, but Brennan held up a hand. "Just Emma. You're the one who should know what's going on, being the psionic. Spill it."

"This person--new mutant--who's attacking you, well, they're a psionic, and it doesn't want you because you're a member of Mutant X." Emma cut right to the chase.

"They want me 'cause I'm an Elemental." Brennan finished for her. "Great. Not only a powerful psionic, but a prejudiced, powerful psionic. Great."

Shalimar turned around when she heard the undertones in Brennan's voice. He was afraid. She had never, never, heard him sound afraid before. Cocky, yes, scared, never. It made her voice catch in her throat.

Brennan glanced at Shalimar as she made a move to talk, but didn't say anything. He noted her red-lined eyes. Slowly he glanced around, at Emma and Adam, and again at Shalimar.

Brennan dropped his gaze to the floor in front of him. "Please, let's just get this bastard stop. I'm sick of getting hurt, Emma saving me, Shalimar crying, and Adam pacing around with that serious look on his face. No offense."

Shalimar glared at him. "I would think that you'd be glad I cared."

"I am, Shal, I am. Now, could I just do what I've been trying to do all day, and go to bed?" The pleading in Brennan's voice cut Shalimar to her soul.

"Yes. Your scans all show up normal." Adam confirmed. "Shal, you can take first watch, to make sure nothing happens to him." Or to make sure he doesn't try and do anything. Adam added the unspoken command. Shalimar nodded.

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His eyes were closed, and his breathing had finally evened out-- he was asleep. Shalimar felt her muscles relax, and she breathed a little evener herself. Rest was the one thing that could, maybe, make Brennan see a little straighter on the whole 'elemental' issue.

Shalimar shook her head. It was bad enough that there was a huge divide between new mutants and the rest of humanity--thank god the brunt of humanity didn't know about new mutants--but did there have to be lines between mutants as well. Human nature, supposedly.

But the real question here was who was attacking elementals and, more importantly, why was he, and how could they make him stop.

We will make him stop. Shalimar told herself. We will. We have to. Unconsciously, she reached out to run a hand through Brennan's hair. It was short enough, and didn't need straightening, but she did anyway.

As if sensing her touch in his sleep, Brennan moved his head so that she was cradling it in her hands. Smiling softly, Shalimar sat down next to Brennan, on the side of the cot.

It was at that moment that she felt something. She was no psionic, but she was sure, so sure, that she felt a connection to Brennan. Deeper than a friendship, deeper than even the connection of family. She had no idea what it was, but as she sat there, she was strangely comforted by the warmth of their mysterious bond. Like a connection of--- lovers?

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Jesse found Adam in the lab, doing what looked like comparing a set of three scans.

"Adam? Shalimar said something weird was going on." Adam started a little when he realized Jesse was next to him, but quickly explained all that had happened while he had been gone. Jesse looked puzzled when Adam told him about the elemental serial killer psionic.

"If this.... person... is really killing elementals, why didn't he just grab Brennan or something. Most people like that, people like Henry, like to do it, well, personally. Get more pleasure from the pain. So what's this psionic getting from slapping Brennan around from a distance? And not even showing himself? Not that I'm an expert on the subject or anything." Jesse glanced at the scans. All three were Brennan's.

"No, you're right, Jesse. It doesn't really make any sense. Why attack him three times in one day, and never really cause any damage." Adam paced down the lab, his 'I'm thinking really really hard' look on his face.

"I don't know. But I hope we don't ever find out." Jesse replied.

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Brennan woke to the feeling of warmth, rest, and someone whom he loved, close by. Looking up, he saw Shalimar curled up at the head of the cot, sleeping soundly. Her heightened feral senses hadn't even sensed that he was awake. Yet.

Brennan tried to ignore the nagging voice in the back of the head that told him that he had just admitted he loved Shalimar. Instead he concentrated on getting to his feet and staying upright. He hoped his unsteady legs wouldn't betray him.

He glanced over at Shalimar. She was still fast asleep, thankfully. Brennan crept out of the room, shutting the door as quietly as he could. He could hear muffled voices coming from the direction of the lab, so he moved quickly and silently around it, towards the Double Helix.

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Somewhere else....

"Don't worry. Your sacrifice will save the world."

The screaming continued.

"Someday."

Abruptly, the screams cut off. A body, or what may have been a body in the past, fell to the floor.

"Another will come."