Chapter 2: Down Time

"The heart at rest sees a feast in everything."

Hindu Proverb

----------

Shalimar stormed into Sanctuary and grabbed the book out of Brennans hands.

"Hey!" He yelled in protest. Shalimar threw him a dirty look.

"Where is he?"

"Orion?" She nodded. "He's with Adam and Emma in the lab." She threw the book at him and walked to the lab.

"There we are." Said Adam. "The tests are complete you can get up now." Orion smiled at him as he climbed off the chair.

"You're OK Adam, no matter what people think." Adam looked at him strangely but didn't get an answer as Shalimar trooped in and slapped Orion.

"You're insane!" Instead of responding, he walked towards the door. Before he left he turned and made an 'L' with his hand.

Jesse was just sitting down when first Orion then Shalimar came flying past.

"Get back here!" She yelled.

"You'll have to catch me!" Jesse looked at Brennan

"I take it Shal is mad about the race." Brennan shrugged in response. "What is it about ferals?"

"Actually I think it has more to do with their characters than their DNA." Answered Adam as he and Emma came out of the lab. "They're both competitive by nature and as such love challenging those around them." Jesse nodded.

"That's why she always seems to be fighting or running or something."

"Correct. None of us can keep up with her once her feral nature kicks in. So anytime she finds another feral she either challenges them or, if they're not proactive with their powers, she'll back off."

"I suppose the fact he has canine DNA helps."

"Actually, I prefer the term lupine." Corrected Orion as he came walking back into sight. "As my feral abilities as more wolf-like. Plus it's in my name!"

"Where's Shal?" Asked Emma. Orion created a small fireball in his palm.

"She's taking a shower."

"What did you do?" Orion merely bowed and walked to the kitchen.

"A magician never reveals his secrets." No sooner had Orion ducked out of sight than thoroughly drenched Shalimar came walking past trailing water.

"You know you really should undress before a shower." Remarked Brennan. The others all tried to stifle their laughter. Shalimar stopped and gave him a dead stare before walking to her room.

"You know she'll be in a bad mood for the rest of the day." Commented Jesse.

"Possibly longer." Added Adam. "She's not used to losing." Slowly the group split up to do separate things.

Orion walked out of the kitchen and spotted only Brennan relaxing with a book in hand. He walked over and sat down.

"What you reading?" Brennan answered with out looking up.

"Walt Whitman." Orion smiled.

"I sing the body electric, The armies of those I love engirth me and I engirth them, They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them, And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the soul." Brennan looked up from his book.

"You like Whitman?"

"It passes the time on long flights."

"I find it relaxing." Orion stood and began to walk away. He stopped and turned back to face his friend.

"You do realise the significance of the first line." Brennan didn't catch the meaning. "You're the body electric." Orion walked over the small pond behind the dojo and spotted Emma. Sensing the calm aura radiating from her, he stopped and began to send her compromising images. She blushed.

"Stop that!" She opened her eyes and stared right at him. "I don't think I bend that way." Orion walked over and sat down next to her.

"Want to find out?" She slapped him playfully. "Only kidding. Gesh, can't you take a joke."

"That wasn't funny." She turned away from him. "But this is." Turning back to face him she made him believe he was blind. Instead of getting angry he merely touched his nose.

"You forgot the nose." Emma didn't respond. She stood up and ran off. Sensing this Orion gave chase. He ran back to where Brennan sat.

"Where is she?" Without looking up Brennan answered.

"Who?" Orion turned to face him and Brennan noticed his eyes appeared white. "What the hell?" Orion smiled.

"She decided to play hide and seek but she forgot about my feral nature. I can smell and hear her quite well." Before Brennan could respond Emma jumped up from her hiding spot and raced off with Orion stalking after her. He followed her scent through the lab, past Adam who ignored him, up one flight of stairs down another before stopping outside a room. He raised his head and sniffed the air before entering the room. Closing the door behind him he turned to face the room.

"Nice try, but you can't outrun the wolf."

"It was worth a try." Said Emma as she came out of her closet. Orion grabbed her and pulled her up close before inhaling her scent.

"Enough of this." He closed his eyes and when he opened them the colour had returned.

"You could have thrown off the image anytime, why didn't you?" He looked into her eyes and gave her a soft, caring smile.

"And ruin the game?" Before she could reply he kissed her gently. Breaking the kiss he turned her around.

"Hey!" She protested.

"Trust me." He said as he ran his forefinger down her jaw line. "Close your eyes." She did as she was told.

"Now what."

"In your mind you can see images from anyone nearby?"

"Yes."

"Raise your shields block everything out. Let nothing enter your mind except your own images."

"I can't." He closed his eyes and reached our with his minds' eye. He could hear and see everyone in sanctuary and hikers on a nearby trail.

"You can."

"I can't!" The pain in her voice was obvious. In his mind he could see her in-cased in a cracked shell. Slowly he reached out and touched the shield. Emma gasped.

"Yes you can." Slowly her shell strengthened until the images in her head were only her own.

"It's so quiet. I've never had the voices leave me before. How did you..."

"Ssh. Remember while you see images from everyone around you, I not only see their mind but I can hear, touch, smell and taste it." Slowly he pushed through her mental shell until he stood in isolation with her. "Now listen." He picked out a an image she was sensing and added the other senses to it. Again she gasped.

"You deal with this every day?" By now they were talking in their minds. Their bodies stood in the centre of her room while their minds soared to another plane.

"Yes." He blocked off the sights and sounds until the only thoughts she could see were his. She could see every memory he could remember. His parents, his sister, his fiance.

"Tell me about her?" His mental image smiled and he took her hand before leading her towards the image.

"Better yet, I'll show you." They stepped into the memory.

Shalimar walked out of her room dried off and walked over to the dojo and saw Jesse practising.

"Care for some real action?" Jesse smiled.

"What have you got." She bounded up the steps until she was facing off against him. After a couple of minutes, and Jesse landing on his back several times he held up his hands.

"Stop. Please stop. It's not me you want to kill it's Orion." Shalimar tilted her head.

"What do you mean?" Jesse stood and the pair walked over to where Brennan was sitting.

"Well you didn't look to happy about losing to him." She waved him off.

"It's nothing." A mischievous glint caught in her eyes. "Besides I have something in mind for him." Jesse shook his head.

"I don't get it. With any of us, even Adam, you really take losing bad but with Orion you seem OK about it." The pair sat down, much to Brennans annoyance.

"It's different with him. When I compete with any of you, I'm always holding back, being careful not to let my nature get the better of me. But with Orion I can let rip and not worry." Jesse threw a water bottle at her.

"So it's not because you like him?" Catching the meaning her eyes flashed.

"Only as a friend. Besides he's not my type." Suddenly she was hit an aura of unbelievable calm. "What the?"

"You felt it too?" Asked Brennan who had put down his book.

"Yea. Jesse?" He nodded. "Adam, we've all just felt something."

"A sense of complete calm and relaxation?"

"You too"

"Yes. What about Emma?"

"She's with Orion somewhere. Emma you there?" No response came over the comlink. "Emma?" Jesse ran over to the computer terminal.

"Sensors show she's in her room."

"Get up there just in case." Said Adam over the link. The threesome raced to Emmas room. Brennan banged on the door.

"Emma, it's Brennan open up. Emma!" He tried the door but it was locked.

"Stand back." Said Jesse as he phased through the door. As the door open Jesse looked spooked. You gotta see this."

As the others ran in they saw Orion and Emma standing in the middle of the room oblivious to the outside world. Brennan waved his hand in front of the them but neither responded.

"Adam, we've found Emma and Orion. They're in some kind of trance."

"How are their vitals?" Jesse touched their necks.

"They're breathing."

"OK, get them down to the lab now, just in case." As Brennan and Jesse broke the physical link between the two, both came around.

"Hey!" Snapped Emma. The others jumped back in shock.

"Emma, you're OK."

"I'm fine. We were just talking."

"Talking? The pair of you looked like mannequins." Orion took Emmas hand in his.

"You don't need a body to talk with your soul." Jesse shrugged.

"Regardless, Adam wants to see you both in the lab."

"Fine." Humphed Emma as she dragged Orion along behind her.

As Adam finished the scan on Emma she sat up.

"Well you both look fine."

"I could have told you that." Adam ignored the anger in her voice.

"What were you two doing anyway." The pair looked at each other before Orion answered.

"It's hard to explain but, I think I can show you. Everyone from a circle holding hands." Slowly the team stood in the circle.

"I feel like I'm in pre-school." Remarked Brennan drawing smile from everyone.

"Everyone clear your minds and think only of the double helix." As everyone did as told Orion opened his mind to Emma and the pair formed the shell once again. Finding their friends they slowly expanded the shell until everyone was inside.

"What the?" Both Orion and Emma smiled.

"Welcome to our world." They dropped the shield for a moment and allowed the sights and sounds to engulf their friends. Quickly the shield was re-established and they broke the link.

"Whoa." Said Brennan as they came back to the real world. Adam looked over at Emma.

"Is that what you go through every day?"

"More or less." In that brief glimpse they gained a new-found respect for their friends.

"But the images, the sounds, how do you block it all?"

"With a lot of effort." Answered Orion. "Anyway, If no-one minds I'd like to head to my place and get some sleep." He got up and stated to walk towards the garage.

"Why don't you stay here?" Asked Jesse.

"Nothing personal, but after six weeks in the middle of nowhere I'd really like to sleep in my own bed." Emma walked him to his car.

"You sure you don't want any company." He smiled.

"As tempting as that is, I just don't have energy for anything tonight." She kissed him before gently biting his ear. She turned and walked back inside.

"Your loss." He shook his head before getting in his car and driving off.

----------