Title; Slender Fingers
Warnings; Language, dark themes, OOC, OCs, suicide attempts, abuse, death,
in parts a wet, topless Brennan... Yummy.....
Disclaimer; Sadly, I own nothing. I just like to play with Mutant X, and
promise to return them in good condition when I'm done...
Key; "Blah"-talking, 'Blah'-thinking, ~ ~-change of scene, * *-shift
between Brennan's present and his past.
* * * * * * * *
A/N : I would like to point out right here and now. Any and all romance anyone might see between Brennan and ANY of my OCs WHATSOEVER is all in your mind. It is Bren/Shal ALL THE WAY BABY!!!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Brennan caused a bit of a stir when he walked into Sanctuary. For one thing, his clothes were muddy and wrinkled, and his hair in a state of complete disarray, a rare thing in itself, but the electrical was sopping wet. "What the Hell happened to you?" The shocked question came from all sides.
Brennan smirked. "I went dancing." Then he left his stumped teammates behind to take a hot shower and get himself cleaned up.
As soon as he left, Shalimar exclaimed, "What is UP with him lately?" She sent a pleading look to Emma. "Emma, can't you read him, or something?"
Emma glared at Shalimar. "I try not to read my friends without their permission, unless I think they're in trouble."
"But Brennan might be in trouble! He's been hanging out at the park more than he has here! He barely talks to me any more!"
"So, he A) has a new girlfriend who likes the park, or, B) finds the park relaxing. What's the big deal?" Emma asked, unconcerned.
"He so better NOT have a new girlfriend," Shalimar muttered.
"What was that?" asked Emma impishly, knowing perfectly well what she had said. Shal just gave her a 'shut up' look. Emma laughed.
* * * * * * * * * *
Brennan was shivering violently. His ribs still hurt terribly, and his cuts and bruises stung. He still couldn't see out of his right eye. It had been thirty-six hours since he had run away from home. He was freezing, staving and exhausted. But he was alive. He had to be careful, because if he was recognized, which wasn't likely, but possible, he would be sent back to his father, who would kill him. He was currently in the poorest part of town, where street kids were a dime a dozen. No one looked twice at his battered body or guarded eyes, because there were those worse off then him.
Brennan heard someone stumble through the trash, and he tensed. Probably a drunk, possibly a cop...
He hoped for the former fervently. The man who stepped out from the shadows didn't appear to be either, but looks could be deceiving. His father didn't look like an abusive alcoholic either, or the guy could be a plain clothes cop. The guy cast a look at Brennan and lit up a cigarette. He took a long drag. "Who did that to your face, kid?"
Brennan glared with his good eye and clutched his ribs. "Didn't know it was any of your business," he sneered.
The guy gave a short laugh. "You got guts for such a scrawny thing. You're what, nine? That's hysterical." He took another drag of his cigarette. Brennan growled, which made the man laugh again. "Well, I got a little tiger on my hands, I do believe. What's your name, kid?"
"I didn't know THAT was any of your business either," Brennan growled.
The guy threw back his head and laughed. He paused, blowing some smoke rings. "You, kid," he said, pointing to Brennan with his cigarette, "are the funniest thing I've come along in awhile. Sure are cocky for a street kid." Brennan scowled and shifted in his spot in the corner.
"If you're gunna mug me, I ain't got no money, if you're going to kill me, do it and get it over with, and if you're gunna rape me, at least kill me when you're done."
Now THAT got the guy's interest. He could tell the kid was green. He couldn't have been on the streets for more than three days, tops. He knew these things. But he talked like a kid raised on the streets. "I ain't gunna mug, kill or rape ya kid. God, THAT'S an attitude to have." The guy gave a snort and another drag.
"Then go away!"
"Naw, don't think I will. You're amusing as Hell, kid. Look, you want some food and a bed, you follow me." He started to turn.
"What's the catch?"
"Don't do catches, kid. Too complicated. You come, you eat, you sleep, and you leave if you want, or you stay. No big deal. Got a street rat or two there already, but they don't got your spunk. You coming or not?"
This was potentially dangerous, but Brennan wasn't in a position to pick and choose. And food and a bed sounded AWFULLY nice. With a sigh he got up and followed.
"Ah, and have you decided to join me after all, Tiger?" Brennan growled. "What? You didn't volunteer a name. You can call me Jay. Now, at my place I ain't got nothing to steal, so I ain't worried 'bout that. Try not to scrap with the other street rats too much, and you got yourself a place to stay. And I AM calling you Tiger 'til I get something better from you, so get used to it or 'fess up your real name." Brennan growled again, but didn't answer. Jay shrugged. "Tiger it is then."
Jay's place was basically an old warehouse. He owned it, but the building was nothing like a house. There were random pieces of furniture, most old and all mismatched. It was in no specific order, with one bed in with a heave oak dining table. Jay's other current resident street rats didn't care, and neither did Brennan. The others were too cold and uncomfortable to stay with him long, Jay knew. He knew these things. But both had needed a warm bed for a few days.
Jay introduced Brennan, or at least Tiger, to them and they nodded in acknowledgement and scuttled away. As Jay thought, they wouldn't stay long.
Brennan however was to stay there on and off for the next eight years of his life. Jay, as soon as he realized that Tiger was going to be a semi- regular tenant at his home started teaching him everything he knew.
He taught him about cars. How to fix them, how to drive them, how to break into them, how to hotwire them.
He taught him about people. How to deal with them, how to seduce them, how to steal from them.
He taught him how to fight. How to defend himself, how to handle one-on-one fights vs. gangs with knives and chains. He even gave him a sharp knife that could be used in a fight that Brennan kept in his boot.
He taught Brennan everything he knew about hotwiring and pick-pocketing. Brennan managed to finish school at Jay's request, and although he had no trouble with his subjects, he simply considered school to be boring. However, Jay had taken him in and was putting up with his teenage angst years, so Brennan figured he could suffer through.
Brennan never told Jay his real name, though he knew Jay had probably figured out who he was. He went to the shoddy public schools that had metal detectors and chain-link over the windows. He went with dyed hair he hated, but no one recognized him as the runaway from the papers at least. All in all, this life was better than the one he had led with his step-father.
Jay eventually started calling him Ty after Brennan out grew Tiger. He had enrolled in school under Ty Avery. Avery had been his mother's first name, and he felt comfortable using it. He was no longer Brennan Mulwray.
He watched through the yeas as Jay brought home other runaways and orphans, taking him under his wing for as long as they would stay. Most only did for a few days, some a couple of weeks, and a rare one a month or two. He wasn't sure why he himself stuck around, but he did. Jay did his best with him, and although he admittedly picked up an illegal habit from the man, Jay didn't do a half bad job of bringing him up.
But the day he finished high school, he knew that it was time. He dyed his hair back to the original black. He was no longer a child. For that matter, he wasn't sure he had ever been a child, but today was the day the world stopped treating him like one. He was eighteen now, his father had no control over him anymore. He didn't have to hide behind Ty Avery anymore. He could be himself.
If he had a self left to be, that was.
That day he went to the warehouse. Jay was sprawled on the couch, comfortably smoking, as usual. "Hey, Ty," he called.
"My name is Brennan. Mulwray."
Jay turned his eyes onto his young charge. Not so young anymore, he realized. "And why are you telling me this now, after all this time?"
"You saved my life. I figured you deserved to know. Avery was my mother's name. I never knew my real father; he died before I was born. My mother was desperate to find a father for her baby. She married a very rich man who had been madly in love with her for years. They were married seven months when I was born. She died from birth complications. I killed her. He blamed me for her death. It was him that gave me those bruises. The night I ran away, I fought back. He would have killed me, so I left. I grew up calling him 'Father'. You have done more for me than he EVER did. And I would like to thank you for that. Thank you, Jay. There's only been one other person I can remember that treated me like you do. Thank you," he said again.
Brennan turned and left. Jay looked after him. "You're welcome...Brennan," he murmured. Jay knew he wouldn't be back. He knew these things.
* * * * * * *
Well, this is what he got for twirling around in the rain like an idiot. Now he was sick and Emma, Adam, Jesse, and for some reason, especially Shalimar were making a huge fuss about it. Emma kept scolding him about getting wet like that, and Jesse was teasing him unmercifully. Really Brennan loved the man like a brother, but when he got into the mood, God could he tease! As for his best friend, Brennan could tell her it was just a cold, but she could feel his misery, and was making an entirely too big a deal out of it. Adam was almost as bad in his scolding. Brennan wondered if it was make-up for never having anyone fuss over him as a kid by landing him with these four fuss-budgets.
Shalimar was the worst though. She treated it like it was a deadly virus, or at least that's how Brennan saw it. She flat-out refused to let him leave his bed, much less go to the park. She kept him in steady supply of ginger ale and poetry books. She would pop into his room periodically, asking if he needed another blanket, or if he wanted soup, or his pillow fluffed, or a million things.
Such a fuss over him was a hard concept for him to conceive.
Even though as a result he now had a cold and had been taken hostage by the resident feral, Brennan didn't regret letting loose in the rain. He didn't think he'd do it again soon, but if he could go back, he wouldn't do it differently.
Besides, it was kind of nice to be fussed over for once in his life. Though he wouldn't like to have it like this all the time.
Shalimar had popped in on him twice in the past hour and Emma had threatened to psi-blast him if he didn't get some sleep. Brennan didn't see what the big deal about a stuffy nose, sore throat and slight fever was. Ok, so the 'slight' fever was 103, and he also had a migraine and had thrown up a few times...but still.
So he had crossed his eyes at Emma's retreating back and had gone back to his reading. He would have plenty of time to sleep when he was dead.
Shalimar passed his room, to see Brennan sitting up, reading poetry. She slipped in and snatched the book out of his hands. "Hey!" he protested.
"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" she scolded.
"Well, excuse me; I DID think that I was an adult, Shal. You guys don't have to baby me."
"You are a baby."
"I am NOT a baby," he sulked.
"Of course you aren't," she soothed, grinning wickedly.
"Oh, go away!" he moaned, pressing his pillow over his head.
Shalimar laughed and removed the pillow. "Get some sleep, and we'll see if you're well enough to get up tomorrow." She whacked him with his own pillow, and then sauntered off.
Brennan threw the pillow back at her. "Yes, Mother!" She rolled her eyes at him and popped out. Brennan scowled. She had taken his book. Now he had no choice but to go to sleep. He sighed and rolled over.
When Shalimar passed again, she found that he had finally gone to sleep. She smiled softly and entered. She brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. She leaned down and brushed her lips against his temple. "Sweet dreams, Brennan," she whispered, pulling up the blankets a little.
She turned to see Jesse and Emma standing in the doorway, each wearing a smirk to rival Brennan's. She blushed furiously. "Um...I was just..." she stuttered.
"Oh, we know what you were JUST," smirked Jesse. "Sweet dreams, Brennan!" he mocked her, pretending to swoon into Emma's arms. Then both Jesse and Emma burst into hysterical laughter.
"Shhhh! Do you want to wake him up?! I JUST got him to go to sleep!" Shalimar hissed.
"Oh, we won't wake him up. The man sleeps like the dead," said Emma dismissively, waving a hand. "Lighten up, Shal."
"Careful Emma, you're talking about the man she LOVES you know," snickered Jesse.
"Shut up!" hissed Shal, quickly shutting Brennan's door. She was blushing bright red.
"Not until you admit it," smirked Emma.
"Admit what?" snapped Shal.
"That you love Brennan!" the both chimed at the same time.
Her eyes bugged out of her head. "SHH! He'll hear you!"
"You mean you haven't told him YET?" Emma asked, rolling her eyes.
"There is nothing to tell! I do NOT love him!"
"So you mean it's ok if I make a move than?" asked Emma playfully.
Shal whirled on her. "Don't you dare!" she snapped. Then, realizing she had fallen into their little trap, she buried her face in her hands. "Crap," she sighed. Jesse and Emma were too busy crowing to notice.
The two ran off, Shalimar in pursuit, Jesse grinning and singing, "Shalimar and Bren~nan, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!", and Emma giggling like mad.
"REAL mature, Jess! What? Are we in kindergarten?" Shal called.
"You're no fun!" he called, sticking out his tongue.
As the three ran around Sanctuary, Brennan pressed his facie into his pillow to muffle his laughter. After all, it wouldn't do to have Shal die of embarrassment. Then, with a silly grin he touched his temple. It was a simple, chaste kiss, probably just between friends, but it was a kiss! And good GOD was he acting like a teenage school girl!
He buried his silly grin back into his pillow. He thought back to the feeling of Shal's lips brushing against his temple. So tenderly...
Were Jesse and Emma right? Did Shalimar love him?
Did he love her?
He wasn't sure he knew. But these past few days he had been taking off his Mask more and more. He was happier than he had been in a long time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rockergurl: And Brennan gets even MORE OOC.
Kitta Cat: Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but since YOU brought it up...
Rockergurl: I KNOW! I keep making the tough guys all wimpy! I'm SORRY! I just like reducing them to puddles of tough-guy-mush. It's so much fun...
REVIEW RESPONSES:
SOMEBODY: Like your name. I myself have always wanted to be Somebody.
ARIANRHOD: Glad to know you liked it.
NOBLEBLUE: Yes, it's about time, isn't it?
SARGE: Yes, I guess he is kinda like Ryder, huh Ri? The one. The only. The sucky fic writer.
ELEMENTAL-SPARKY: Really? The best? What kind of lame fics are you reading??
ITAILIANCHIKE: Yeah, it can apply to Brennan NOW. I had the whole thing planned out and stuff, and then I saw "No Man Left Behind" and it TOTALLY messed up my story line! I was slightly P.O.ed
QUEST: Of course I want to. That's the whole point of my writing.
PETITECAT: Oh, there is SO going to be more Bren/Shal
SKYEYES: keeping it up.
LANFEAR: I like making Brennan all soft and mushy. Hehehe. And yes, there is SOMEONE out there who can resist Brennan's charms.
A/N :As a matter of fact, I would like to point out right here and now. Any and all romance anyone might see between Brennan and ANY of my OCs WHATSOEVER is all in your mind. It is Bren/Shal ALL THE WAY BABY!!!
* * * * * * * *
A/N : I would like to point out right here and now. Any and all romance anyone might see between Brennan and ANY of my OCs WHATSOEVER is all in your mind. It is Bren/Shal ALL THE WAY BABY!!!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Brennan caused a bit of a stir when he walked into Sanctuary. For one thing, his clothes were muddy and wrinkled, and his hair in a state of complete disarray, a rare thing in itself, but the electrical was sopping wet. "What the Hell happened to you?" The shocked question came from all sides.
Brennan smirked. "I went dancing." Then he left his stumped teammates behind to take a hot shower and get himself cleaned up.
As soon as he left, Shalimar exclaimed, "What is UP with him lately?" She sent a pleading look to Emma. "Emma, can't you read him, or something?"
Emma glared at Shalimar. "I try not to read my friends without their permission, unless I think they're in trouble."
"But Brennan might be in trouble! He's been hanging out at the park more than he has here! He barely talks to me any more!"
"So, he A) has a new girlfriend who likes the park, or, B) finds the park relaxing. What's the big deal?" Emma asked, unconcerned.
"He so better NOT have a new girlfriend," Shalimar muttered.
"What was that?" asked Emma impishly, knowing perfectly well what she had said. Shal just gave her a 'shut up' look. Emma laughed.
* * * * * * * * * *
Brennan was shivering violently. His ribs still hurt terribly, and his cuts and bruises stung. He still couldn't see out of his right eye. It had been thirty-six hours since he had run away from home. He was freezing, staving and exhausted. But he was alive. He had to be careful, because if he was recognized, which wasn't likely, but possible, he would be sent back to his father, who would kill him. He was currently in the poorest part of town, where street kids were a dime a dozen. No one looked twice at his battered body or guarded eyes, because there were those worse off then him.
Brennan heard someone stumble through the trash, and he tensed. Probably a drunk, possibly a cop...
He hoped for the former fervently. The man who stepped out from the shadows didn't appear to be either, but looks could be deceiving. His father didn't look like an abusive alcoholic either, or the guy could be a plain clothes cop. The guy cast a look at Brennan and lit up a cigarette. He took a long drag. "Who did that to your face, kid?"
Brennan glared with his good eye and clutched his ribs. "Didn't know it was any of your business," he sneered.
The guy gave a short laugh. "You got guts for such a scrawny thing. You're what, nine? That's hysterical." He took another drag of his cigarette. Brennan growled, which made the man laugh again. "Well, I got a little tiger on my hands, I do believe. What's your name, kid?"
"I didn't know THAT was any of your business either," Brennan growled.
The guy threw back his head and laughed. He paused, blowing some smoke rings. "You, kid," he said, pointing to Brennan with his cigarette, "are the funniest thing I've come along in awhile. Sure are cocky for a street kid." Brennan scowled and shifted in his spot in the corner.
"If you're gunna mug me, I ain't got no money, if you're going to kill me, do it and get it over with, and if you're gunna rape me, at least kill me when you're done."
Now THAT got the guy's interest. He could tell the kid was green. He couldn't have been on the streets for more than three days, tops. He knew these things. But he talked like a kid raised on the streets. "I ain't gunna mug, kill or rape ya kid. God, THAT'S an attitude to have." The guy gave a snort and another drag.
"Then go away!"
"Naw, don't think I will. You're amusing as Hell, kid. Look, you want some food and a bed, you follow me." He started to turn.
"What's the catch?"
"Don't do catches, kid. Too complicated. You come, you eat, you sleep, and you leave if you want, or you stay. No big deal. Got a street rat or two there already, but they don't got your spunk. You coming or not?"
This was potentially dangerous, but Brennan wasn't in a position to pick and choose. And food and a bed sounded AWFULLY nice. With a sigh he got up and followed.
"Ah, and have you decided to join me after all, Tiger?" Brennan growled. "What? You didn't volunteer a name. You can call me Jay. Now, at my place I ain't got nothing to steal, so I ain't worried 'bout that. Try not to scrap with the other street rats too much, and you got yourself a place to stay. And I AM calling you Tiger 'til I get something better from you, so get used to it or 'fess up your real name." Brennan growled again, but didn't answer. Jay shrugged. "Tiger it is then."
Jay's place was basically an old warehouse. He owned it, but the building was nothing like a house. There were random pieces of furniture, most old and all mismatched. It was in no specific order, with one bed in with a heave oak dining table. Jay's other current resident street rats didn't care, and neither did Brennan. The others were too cold and uncomfortable to stay with him long, Jay knew. He knew these things. But both had needed a warm bed for a few days.
Jay introduced Brennan, or at least Tiger, to them and they nodded in acknowledgement and scuttled away. As Jay thought, they wouldn't stay long.
Brennan however was to stay there on and off for the next eight years of his life. Jay, as soon as he realized that Tiger was going to be a semi- regular tenant at his home started teaching him everything he knew.
He taught him about cars. How to fix them, how to drive them, how to break into them, how to hotwire them.
He taught him about people. How to deal with them, how to seduce them, how to steal from them.
He taught him how to fight. How to defend himself, how to handle one-on-one fights vs. gangs with knives and chains. He even gave him a sharp knife that could be used in a fight that Brennan kept in his boot.
He taught Brennan everything he knew about hotwiring and pick-pocketing. Brennan managed to finish school at Jay's request, and although he had no trouble with his subjects, he simply considered school to be boring. However, Jay had taken him in and was putting up with his teenage angst years, so Brennan figured he could suffer through.
Brennan never told Jay his real name, though he knew Jay had probably figured out who he was. He went to the shoddy public schools that had metal detectors and chain-link over the windows. He went with dyed hair he hated, but no one recognized him as the runaway from the papers at least. All in all, this life was better than the one he had led with his step-father.
Jay eventually started calling him Ty after Brennan out grew Tiger. He had enrolled in school under Ty Avery. Avery had been his mother's first name, and he felt comfortable using it. He was no longer Brennan Mulwray.
He watched through the yeas as Jay brought home other runaways and orphans, taking him under his wing for as long as they would stay. Most only did for a few days, some a couple of weeks, and a rare one a month or two. He wasn't sure why he himself stuck around, but he did. Jay did his best with him, and although he admittedly picked up an illegal habit from the man, Jay didn't do a half bad job of bringing him up.
But the day he finished high school, he knew that it was time. He dyed his hair back to the original black. He was no longer a child. For that matter, he wasn't sure he had ever been a child, but today was the day the world stopped treating him like one. He was eighteen now, his father had no control over him anymore. He didn't have to hide behind Ty Avery anymore. He could be himself.
If he had a self left to be, that was.
That day he went to the warehouse. Jay was sprawled on the couch, comfortably smoking, as usual. "Hey, Ty," he called.
"My name is Brennan. Mulwray."
Jay turned his eyes onto his young charge. Not so young anymore, he realized. "And why are you telling me this now, after all this time?"
"You saved my life. I figured you deserved to know. Avery was my mother's name. I never knew my real father; he died before I was born. My mother was desperate to find a father for her baby. She married a very rich man who had been madly in love with her for years. They were married seven months when I was born. She died from birth complications. I killed her. He blamed me for her death. It was him that gave me those bruises. The night I ran away, I fought back. He would have killed me, so I left. I grew up calling him 'Father'. You have done more for me than he EVER did. And I would like to thank you for that. Thank you, Jay. There's only been one other person I can remember that treated me like you do. Thank you," he said again.
Brennan turned and left. Jay looked after him. "You're welcome...Brennan," he murmured. Jay knew he wouldn't be back. He knew these things.
* * * * * * *
Well, this is what he got for twirling around in the rain like an idiot. Now he was sick and Emma, Adam, Jesse, and for some reason, especially Shalimar were making a huge fuss about it. Emma kept scolding him about getting wet like that, and Jesse was teasing him unmercifully. Really Brennan loved the man like a brother, but when he got into the mood, God could he tease! As for his best friend, Brennan could tell her it was just a cold, but she could feel his misery, and was making an entirely too big a deal out of it. Adam was almost as bad in his scolding. Brennan wondered if it was make-up for never having anyone fuss over him as a kid by landing him with these four fuss-budgets.
Shalimar was the worst though. She treated it like it was a deadly virus, or at least that's how Brennan saw it. She flat-out refused to let him leave his bed, much less go to the park. She kept him in steady supply of ginger ale and poetry books. She would pop into his room periodically, asking if he needed another blanket, or if he wanted soup, or his pillow fluffed, or a million things.
Such a fuss over him was a hard concept for him to conceive.
Even though as a result he now had a cold and had been taken hostage by the resident feral, Brennan didn't regret letting loose in the rain. He didn't think he'd do it again soon, but if he could go back, he wouldn't do it differently.
Besides, it was kind of nice to be fussed over for once in his life. Though he wouldn't like to have it like this all the time.
Shalimar had popped in on him twice in the past hour and Emma had threatened to psi-blast him if he didn't get some sleep. Brennan didn't see what the big deal about a stuffy nose, sore throat and slight fever was. Ok, so the 'slight' fever was 103, and he also had a migraine and had thrown up a few times...but still.
So he had crossed his eyes at Emma's retreating back and had gone back to his reading. He would have plenty of time to sleep when he was dead.
Shalimar passed his room, to see Brennan sitting up, reading poetry. She slipped in and snatched the book out of his hands. "Hey!" he protested.
"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" she scolded.
"Well, excuse me; I DID think that I was an adult, Shal. You guys don't have to baby me."
"You are a baby."
"I am NOT a baby," he sulked.
"Of course you aren't," she soothed, grinning wickedly.
"Oh, go away!" he moaned, pressing his pillow over his head.
Shalimar laughed and removed the pillow. "Get some sleep, and we'll see if you're well enough to get up tomorrow." She whacked him with his own pillow, and then sauntered off.
Brennan threw the pillow back at her. "Yes, Mother!" She rolled her eyes at him and popped out. Brennan scowled. She had taken his book. Now he had no choice but to go to sleep. He sighed and rolled over.
When Shalimar passed again, she found that he had finally gone to sleep. She smiled softly and entered. She brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. She leaned down and brushed her lips against his temple. "Sweet dreams, Brennan," she whispered, pulling up the blankets a little.
She turned to see Jesse and Emma standing in the doorway, each wearing a smirk to rival Brennan's. She blushed furiously. "Um...I was just..." she stuttered.
"Oh, we know what you were JUST," smirked Jesse. "Sweet dreams, Brennan!" he mocked her, pretending to swoon into Emma's arms. Then both Jesse and Emma burst into hysterical laughter.
"Shhhh! Do you want to wake him up?! I JUST got him to go to sleep!" Shalimar hissed.
"Oh, we won't wake him up. The man sleeps like the dead," said Emma dismissively, waving a hand. "Lighten up, Shal."
"Careful Emma, you're talking about the man she LOVES you know," snickered Jesse.
"Shut up!" hissed Shal, quickly shutting Brennan's door. She was blushing bright red.
"Not until you admit it," smirked Emma.
"Admit what?" snapped Shal.
"That you love Brennan!" the both chimed at the same time.
Her eyes bugged out of her head. "SHH! He'll hear you!"
"You mean you haven't told him YET?" Emma asked, rolling her eyes.
"There is nothing to tell! I do NOT love him!"
"So you mean it's ok if I make a move than?" asked Emma playfully.
Shal whirled on her. "Don't you dare!" she snapped. Then, realizing she had fallen into their little trap, she buried her face in her hands. "Crap," she sighed. Jesse and Emma were too busy crowing to notice.
The two ran off, Shalimar in pursuit, Jesse grinning and singing, "Shalimar and Bren~nan, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!", and Emma giggling like mad.
"REAL mature, Jess! What? Are we in kindergarten?" Shal called.
"You're no fun!" he called, sticking out his tongue.
As the three ran around Sanctuary, Brennan pressed his facie into his pillow to muffle his laughter. After all, it wouldn't do to have Shal die of embarrassment. Then, with a silly grin he touched his temple. It was a simple, chaste kiss, probably just between friends, but it was a kiss! And good GOD was he acting like a teenage school girl!
He buried his silly grin back into his pillow. He thought back to the feeling of Shal's lips brushing against his temple. So tenderly...
Were Jesse and Emma right? Did Shalimar love him?
Did he love her?
He wasn't sure he knew. But these past few days he had been taking off his Mask more and more. He was happier than he had been in a long time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rockergurl: And Brennan gets even MORE OOC.
Kitta Cat: Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but since YOU brought it up...
Rockergurl: I KNOW! I keep making the tough guys all wimpy! I'm SORRY! I just like reducing them to puddles of tough-guy-mush. It's so much fun...
REVIEW RESPONSES:
SOMEBODY: Like your name. I myself have always wanted to be Somebody.
ARIANRHOD: Glad to know you liked it.
NOBLEBLUE: Yes, it's about time, isn't it?
SARGE: Yes, I guess he is kinda like Ryder, huh Ri? The one. The only. The sucky fic writer.
ELEMENTAL-SPARKY: Really? The best? What kind of lame fics are you reading??
ITAILIANCHIKE: Yeah, it can apply to Brennan NOW. I had the whole thing planned out and stuff, and then I saw "No Man Left Behind" and it TOTALLY messed up my story line! I was slightly P.O.ed
QUEST: Of course I want to. That's the whole point of my writing.
PETITECAT: Oh, there is SO going to be more Bren/Shal
SKYEYES: keeping it up.
LANFEAR: I like making Brennan all soft and mushy. Hehehe. And yes, there is SOMEONE out there who can resist Brennan's charms.
A/N :As a matter of fact, I would like to point out right here and now. Any and all romance anyone might see between Brennan and ANY of my OCs WHATSOEVER is all in your mind. It is Bren/Shal ALL THE WAY BABY!!!