x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
For a moment Jesse thought that Emma was going to faint in his arms, she had become so pale.
"Emma what's wrong?"
She seemed oblivious to what Jesse was saying; her eyes were focused on something else. Her cheeks were wet with her tears.
Jesse shook her lightly, he was getting worried. "Emma?"
She looked at him, and his concern for her finally sunk in. She took a deep breath and smiled. Jesse started at the sheer wonder in that smile. He could only stare at Emma; she was so beautiful, despite the tears and the smudges on her cheeks. It was as if someone had switched on a light in the darkness of her soul.
"He loves me." Emma's voice was full of wonder. Even now she could feel the words echoing in her head, drowning her - and for once she welcomed it. She wanted to sink and let them overwhelm her in delicious oblivion.
Jesse continued to look at Emma. What was she talking about?
"He loves me. Brennan loves me. And he thinks I don't love him." Emma spoke rapidly, needing to say the words - as if saying them out loud lent them more permanence.
Jesse was not sure how Emma knew, but he figured that Emma must have 'heard' his emotions. He was glad - now everything would go back to normal.
At least, that is what he thought until Emma threw herself in his arms and sobbed like the world was ending.
"Hey hey, what's wrong? He loves you. Everything is fine now. Why are you crying?" Jesse was terrified now; he didn't think this was the normal reaction to a declaration of love.
"He loves me. He is in so much pain Jesse. He thinks I abandoned him. He holds back because he is afraid of hurting me. He is so stupid, I love him so much." Emma sobbed into Jesse's chest as if it was the end of the world
Jesse opened his mouth and closed it again. What was he supposed to say to that?
"Well then, why don't you go and put him out of his misery?" A gentle, slightly wry, voice said. Emma looked up to see a highly amused Edward leaning on a pillar near them.
"But, but . . ."
"You love him?"
"Yes."
"And he loves you. That is all you need to think about now. Now go to him, and everything will be alright."
*~ Trust me. ~*
Emma nodded, *~ Always. ~*
And she walked to where Brennan was sitting.
Jesse just looked at Edward, causing the older man to chuckle.
"Don't worry, my reaction was much the same when Marie told me she loved me. I think it was a week before it finally sunk in. Till then, I walked about in a daze, constantly expecting someone to tell me I was dreaming. I think that was one of the most frightening times of my life."
"Great, so now we are going to have both of them wondering about like idiots. Fantastic! When will this be over?!" Jesse grinned realising that things were never going be normal again.
Edward grinned back, "Normalcy is highly over-rated."
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
"Because I love her."
Shalimar blinked, not believing her own ears. Maybe she had imagined the words? She looked closely at Brennan, noting how his shoulder slumped and how dejected he looked. Only then did Shalimar fully comprehend how much this situation with Emma was hurting him. This proud, defiant man, looked like he had lost everything in the world. Shalimar's heart twisted in sympathy, she had to make Brennan see the rest of the truth as well.
She leaned forward to gently clasp his shoulder, "Brennan? Are you okay?"
"No, I don't think I will ever be okay." Brennan shifted to free himself from Shalimar's grasp. His voice was bitter and disgusted with himself.
*~ Oh nice going Shal. You couldn't have asked him a more stupid question, could you? ~* Shalimar silently berated herself.
"Brennan, listen to me please. Emma . . ."
"Loves you more than you can ever imagine." Emma's voice interrupted Shalimar.
Brennan's bent up snapped up at the sound of her voice. He stared at Emma, not believing what he had heard.
Shalimar watched the two of them and decided that now was the perfect time to make herself scarce.
Brennan slowly got up from the couch, his eyes never leaving Emma's face. He was too afraid to even blink - Emma might disappear and Brennan would be left with only his dreams.
Emma stepped forward until they were almost touching.
"What did you say?" Brennan desperately asked her.
Emma smiled.
"Please, say it again." Brennan begged her.
Emma leaned in so close that her breath fanned Brennan's face. "I love you. I love you so much. I love you so much that there is nothing left in me that is not a part of you. I love you so much that it hurts. I love you."
Brennan closed his eyes, he had to be dreaming - he had been dreaming of these words for so long that he was not sure what to do.
"Brennan please, look at me." Emma tenderly touched his cheek. She had to hear him say the words or she would explode.
Brennan eyes flew open at her touch. "All I want to do is look at you, touch you, hold you. Please tell me that you are not playing games with me."
"Brennan, I would never . . ." Emma stopped, she recognised the fear in Brennan's eyes. How could she not, it was the same that lurked in her own face.
She stepped even closer and resting her head on Brennan's chest. Instinctively his arms came up to enclose her - he couldn't do otherwise.
"Trust me."
With that, Emma let go of herself and dropped her walls. Brennan gasped as he felt Emma's love envelop him. He marvelled at the strength of this woman's feelings - she loved him.
The bond between the two of them throbbed and pulsated, becoming stronger than ever. Emma could feel everything that Brennan felt - his confusion, his desire, his love. She snuggled deeper into his chest, she had waited for this for so long.
Brennan smiled and held her even closer. He was never going to let her go now that he had found her. *~ You are mine. ~*
Emma chuckled, *~Always. ~*
Brennan let go of her slightly, to lift her chin so that she could look at him. "I love you Emma DeLauro. I didn't think I was even capable of such love but you taught me otherwise. You make me feel alive . . . you complete me."
It was a declaration and a solemn vow and Emma had never heard anything sweeter. Happy tears coursed down her cheeks.
Brennan took her face in his hands and brushed away the tears with his thumbs.
"I must look like a fright." Emma weakly muttered. Brennan was looking at so intently that it was making her feel very shy.
Brennan laughed - the first carefree sound Emma had heard in a very long time. "You are beautiful. You are perfect exactly the way you are."
Emma blushed, if anyone else had said it Emma would have dismissed it as empty flattery but she could feel Brennan's desire. It frightened her and excited her all at the same time. Life was definitely going to be more interesting now.
"I am going to kiss you." Brennan warned Emma.
"You better, otherwise I will hurt you." Emma responded.
That was all the encouragement Brennan needed. He brought her back into the circle of his arms and claimed her. Emma opened her mouth to welcome him back.
It felt good, it felt right.
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
Shalimar sighed as she watched her two friends kiss. Her eyes shone with unshed tears.
"Now why are YOU crying? Everything worked out." Jesse asked with a certain amount of gruffness.
"They are so wonderful together. Isn't that the most beautiful sight you have ever seen." Shalimar breathed.
"Actually, if you ask me it is quite a disgusting display. They should really learn to control themselves." Edward commented.
Shalimar spun around and growled.
"I think you are absolutely right, all this mushy stuff is making me ill." Jesse said with an absolutely straight face.
Edward sagely nodded his head.
The next second saw the two laughing men being chased by an irate feral.
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x I think there is one more chapter to go and then the end. So what did you guys think?
For a moment Jesse thought that Emma was going to faint in his arms, she had become so pale.
"Emma what's wrong?"
She seemed oblivious to what Jesse was saying; her eyes were focused on something else. Her cheeks were wet with her tears.
Jesse shook her lightly, he was getting worried. "Emma?"
She looked at him, and his concern for her finally sunk in. She took a deep breath and smiled. Jesse started at the sheer wonder in that smile. He could only stare at Emma; she was so beautiful, despite the tears and the smudges on her cheeks. It was as if someone had switched on a light in the darkness of her soul.
"He loves me." Emma's voice was full of wonder. Even now she could feel the words echoing in her head, drowning her - and for once she welcomed it. She wanted to sink and let them overwhelm her in delicious oblivion.
Jesse continued to look at Emma. What was she talking about?
"He loves me. Brennan loves me. And he thinks I don't love him." Emma spoke rapidly, needing to say the words - as if saying them out loud lent them more permanence.
Jesse was not sure how Emma knew, but he figured that Emma must have 'heard' his emotions. He was glad - now everything would go back to normal.
At least, that is what he thought until Emma threw herself in his arms and sobbed like the world was ending.
"Hey hey, what's wrong? He loves you. Everything is fine now. Why are you crying?" Jesse was terrified now; he didn't think this was the normal reaction to a declaration of love.
"He loves me. He is in so much pain Jesse. He thinks I abandoned him. He holds back because he is afraid of hurting me. He is so stupid, I love him so much." Emma sobbed into Jesse's chest as if it was the end of the world
Jesse opened his mouth and closed it again. What was he supposed to say to that?
"Well then, why don't you go and put him out of his misery?" A gentle, slightly wry, voice said. Emma looked up to see a highly amused Edward leaning on a pillar near them.
"But, but . . ."
"You love him?"
"Yes."
"And he loves you. That is all you need to think about now. Now go to him, and everything will be alright."
*~ Trust me. ~*
Emma nodded, *~ Always. ~*
And she walked to where Brennan was sitting.
Jesse just looked at Edward, causing the older man to chuckle.
"Don't worry, my reaction was much the same when Marie told me she loved me. I think it was a week before it finally sunk in. Till then, I walked about in a daze, constantly expecting someone to tell me I was dreaming. I think that was one of the most frightening times of my life."
"Great, so now we are going to have both of them wondering about like idiots. Fantastic! When will this be over?!" Jesse grinned realising that things were never going be normal again.
Edward grinned back, "Normalcy is highly over-rated."
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
"Because I love her."
Shalimar blinked, not believing her own ears. Maybe she had imagined the words? She looked closely at Brennan, noting how his shoulder slumped and how dejected he looked. Only then did Shalimar fully comprehend how much this situation with Emma was hurting him. This proud, defiant man, looked like he had lost everything in the world. Shalimar's heart twisted in sympathy, she had to make Brennan see the rest of the truth as well.
She leaned forward to gently clasp his shoulder, "Brennan? Are you okay?"
"No, I don't think I will ever be okay." Brennan shifted to free himself from Shalimar's grasp. His voice was bitter and disgusted with himself.
*~ Oh nice going Shal. You couldn't have asked him a more stupid question, could you? ~* Shalimar silently berated herself.
"Brennan, listen to me please. Emma . . ."
"Loves you more than you can ever imagine." Emma's voice interrupted Shalimar.
Brennan's bent up snapped up at the sound of her voice. He stared at Emma, not believing what he had heard.
Shalimar watched the two of them and decided that now was the perfect time to make herself scarce.
Brennan slowly got up from the couch, his eyes never leaving Emma's face. He was too afraid to even blink - Emma might disappear and Brennan would be left with only his dreams.
Emma stepped forward until they were almost touching.
"What did you say?" Brennan desperately asked her.
Emma smiled.
"Please, say it again." Brennan begged her.
Emma leaned in so close that her breath fanned Brennan's face. "I love you. I love you so much. I love you so much that there is nothing left in me that is not a part of you. I love you so much that it hurts. I love you."
Brennan closed his eyes, he had to be dreaming - he had been dreaming of these words for so long that he was not sure what to do.
"Brennan please, look at me." Emma tenderly touched his cheek. She had to hear him say the words or she would explode.
Brennan eyes flew open at her touch. "All I want to do is look at you, touch you, hold you. Please tell me that you are not playing games with me."
"Brennan, I would never . . ." Emma stopped, she recognised the fear in Brennan's eyes. How could she not, it was the same that lurked in her own face.
She stepped even closer and resting her head on Brennan's chest. Instinctively his arms came up to enclose her - he couldn't do otherwise.
"Trust me."
With that, Emma let go of herself and dropped her walls. Brennan gasped as he felt Emma's love envelop him. He marvelled at the strength of this woman's feelings - she loved him.
The bond between the two of them throbbed and pulsated, becoming stronger than ever. Emma could feel everything that Brennan felt - his confusion, his desire, his love. She snuggled deeper into his chest, she had waited for this for so long.
Brennan smiled and held her even closer. He was never going to let her go now that he had found her. *~ You are mine. ~*
Emma chuckled, *~Always. ~*
Brennan let go of her slightly, to lift her chin so that she could look at him. "I love you Emma DeLauro. I didn't think I was even capable of such love but you taught me otherwise. You make me feel alive . . . you complete me."
It was a declaration and a solemn vow and Emma had never heard anything sweeter. Happy tears coursed down her cheeks.
Brennan took her face in his hands and brushed away the tears with his thumbs.
"I must look like a fright." Emma weakly muttered. Brennan was looking at so intently that it was making her feel very shy.
Brennan laughed - the first carefree sound Emma had heard in a very long time. "You are beautiful. You are perfect exactly the way you are."
Emma blushed, if anyone else had said it Emma would have dismissed it as empty flattery but she could feel Brennan's desire. It frightened her and excited her all at the same time. Life was definitely going to be more interesting now.
"I am going to kiss you." Brennan warned Emma.
"You better, otherwise I will hurt you." Emma responded.
That was all the encouragement Brennan needed. He brought her back into the circle of his arms and claimed her. Emma opened her mouth to welcome him back.
It felt good, it felt right.
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x
Shalimar sighed as she watched her two friends kiss. Her eyes shone with unshed tears.
"Now why are YOU crying? Everything worked out." Jesse asked with a certain amount of gruffness.
"They are so wonderful together. Isn't that the most beautiful sight you have ever seen." Shalimar breathed.
"Actually, if you ask me it is quite a disgusting display. They should really learn to control themselves." Edward commented.
Shalimar spun around and growled.
"I think you are absolutely right, all this mushy stuff is making me ill." Jesse said with an absolutely straight face.
Edward sagely nodded his head.
The next second saw the two laughing men being chased by an irate feral.
x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x I think there is one more chapter to go and then the end. So what did you guys think?