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THICKER THAN WATER

Chapter 3: Explanations

            Adam stared into the microscope on the table before him, analyzing a blood sample taken from Dylan.  She was infected with something, but what he didn't know.  Adam changed to a different slide, a blood sample of his own, to compare his observations.

            Jesse stood outside the laboratory, making some observations of his own, like how tense the air felt, or how lost Adam appeared through the glass.  Funny, the girl had not looked sick, just utterly exhausted.  The younger new mutant knocked softly so as not to startle Adam.

            The other looked up from his microscope briefly, then waved Jesse in.  "Hey," he said as the younger man entered, then closed the door behind him.

            "So, what's up?  You've been in here for hours," Jesse asked outright.  Subtlety was not one of his strong points, as Shalimar so frequently reminded him.

            "Have I really?  I'm sorry, you all must feel a little forgotten."

            "More like left in the dark," he waited for Adam to comment, but the other said nothing.  "So, who is she?"

            Adam switched off his desk lamp, as he rose from his chair.  "I think it's time I told all of you." He gestured for Jesse to lead the way to the other members of Mutant X.

            Adam and Jesse rounded the corner and all conversation stopped.  Shalimar sat up straighter, expecting and anxious for, an explanation.  She curbed the urge to pounce on Adam and barrel him with questions.  Emma sat across from her, but looked just as eager for answers.  Brennan leaned smugly against the wall.  "So, let's hear it," he voiced the team's thoughts.

            Adam nodded, as Jesse went over to sit beside Shalimar.  "I owe you all an explanation," he began.  "As you know, Jesse brought a young woman home with him—a New Mutant. Her name is Dylan, and she is my sister." Adam smiled as he recounted the last two words.  Surprise ran through the group—all but Jesse.  He simply nodded, having his suspicion confirmed.  "I know that there is one question running through your minds right now—"

            Shalimar posed it, "Why didn't you tell us you had a sister?"

            Adam nodded, "I didn't tell you because I—" he hesitated, avoiding eye contact with any of them.  "I thought she was dead.  And I blamed myself for that.  It was hard to talk about, so I just never have."

            "What happened?" Emma asked cautiously.

            He took a deep breath, knowing that he had to tell them something, but not sure it should be the truth.  It was likely that Eckhart already knew where Dylan had gone, and Adam felt that the less his team knew about her New Mutant abilities the better, at this point.  "We had a plan:  I would sneak her out of the Institution, as we used to call it, and meet up with her later.  Now, the way it used to be set up was two sets of gates," he demonstrated with his hands.  "There were guards at the first gate," he made an indicative motion with the hand closest to him.  "And a palm scan at the other."  He repeated the gesture, this time with the other hand.  "The guards wouldn't let us pass.  I suppose Eckhart had learned of our plan, and warned them." Adam clasped his hands in front of him.  "So I had to use force."  His expression turned stone cold.  "The guard that I thought lay unconscious on the floor was in fact faking it.  And that bastard shot her."  He looked away.  The memory still stung, and a tear threatened to break lose.  "He shot her in the chest, and I didn't know what to do.  It was like all my medical training just disappeared.  My little sister was bleeding to death.  The world froze, and I was helpless."  Adam shook his head, disgusted with himself, but trying not to let on.  "A voice in my head kept telling me there was nothing I could do, that she was dead before she hit the floor.  So I ran."

            "That's where you went, then," Shalimar stated.  "When you told me that you had to go back for something.  You went back for your sister."

            Adam nodded.  Brennan arched his eyebrow.  "But then, this girl isn't your sister.  She must be a--a clone, or something, right?  A trap set by Eckhart 'cause he knows how to get to you."

            Adam shook his head.  "No, I checked, it's really Dylan."

            "Then how do you explain it?" Emma asked.

            "Her mutation," Jesse replied.

            "Exactly," Adam agreed.  "Her mutation is like nothing you've ever seen before, and like I've never seen in another new mutant.  She has the ability to heal herself after sustaining an injury."

            "If you knew she would mend herself, why did you leave her behind?" Emma again.

            "Well, at the time, I didn't know."

            "So," Shalimar spoke up, "When do we get to meet her?"

            Adam smiled.  "She keeps asking for Jesse.  I think she wants to thank you.  I want to thank you.  I can't imagine what Eckhart would have done to her if you hadn't found her first."

Jesse got up and shrugged, "I didn't know who she was, Adam.  You don't have to thank me, I would have rescued anyone running from the GSA.  We all would."

Adam clapped his hand on his shoulder.  "I know.  But I thank you anyway.  I know you wouldn't have left her behind either way, but that doesn't change the fact that you saved my sister's life, Jess."

The younger man smiled, and said the only thing he could think of, "You're welcome,"

Adam nodded.  "Look, how about you go talk to Dylan, and then I'll introduce the rest of you."  He nodded at the rest of Mutant X.

Jesse did not hesitate to go.  He wanted to see her again, too.

Dylan sat on the edge of the cot in the small white room that was Medical.  She hated white rooms.  She had just escaped from white rooms, and now here she was sitting in another one.  But this one's different, Dylan reminded herself.  This one's safe because it has Adam looking after me.

The door slid open, and her head snapped around in the direction of the sudden sound.  Her heart raced in her chest, as her mind imagined it was one of Eckhart's scientists—or worse, Eckhart himself.  Dylan was relieved to see that it was her rescuer come to check on her.  "Hey there, Casper," she forced an uneasy smile, telling her tangled nerves to calm down.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" he asked guiltily.

"It's not your fault.  Nine years under Mason's watchful eye'll do that to a person.  Make you edgy, that is."

Jesse nodded.  "Yeah, Adam told us,"

Dylan shifted over, and patted the mattress beside her.  "Come, sit.  Tell me about yourself, Casper."

He smiled and obliged.  "Such as?"

"Well, your real name is a good place to start."

"Jesse," he replied.

She offered him her hand.  "Hello, Jesse, I'm Dylan,"

He shook her hand with a chuckle.  "It's a pleasure to meet you,"

"You have a nice smile.  And haunting blue eyes.  I bet I'll dream about you tonight."  Jesse looked away, blushing, but unable to keep the smile from his face.  "Gasp, he blushes!  So modest.  I can tell we're going to be close."

He arched his eyebrow.  "Really?" his tone was skeptical.

Dylan nodded.  "I've always been able to tell that about the people I meet."

"Quite the talent,"

"I suppose," she shrugged.  "It gets flustering when you know that everyone you meet is going to hurt you in some way, though."  Dylan paused, unwanted memories clamoring to the surface.  "You know, I had an uncle Jesse.  I'll have to ask Adam if we still do.  All I remember about him is that he was drunk ninety percent of the time."

"And what was he during the other ten?"

"Well, Jesse, who is not my drunken uncle, I'll tell you.  He was passed out during the other ten."

Jesse laughed.  "I hope that won't have any bearing on our burgeoning relationship?"

"I assure you, it will not."  She grinned.

Jesse wiped the imaginary sweat from his brow, "Phew.  I was almost worried."

Just then, Adam entered.  "Am I interrupting anything?"

Dylan shook her head.  "Nah," she noticed that Jesse looked slightly uncomfortable.  She slung her arm around his shoulders amicably.  "Me 'n Casper here were just bonding."

"Casper?"

"'Cause he can go invisible, and he's friendly.  So far,"

Adam nodded deviously, "I'll bet.  The others would like to make your acquaintance, if you're up to it?"

Dylan lowered herself to the floor.  "Bring them on.  I can take it."

            Jesse winced, imagining she must have used that phrase several times, though under much worse circumstances.

            Adam nodded, noticing the grimace on Jesse's face at her choice of phrasing.  The other three members of Mutant X entered, single file; Brennan first, then Emma, and lastly, Shalimar.  Adam introduced them as they came in, and Dylan greeted them each pleasantly.  After a few questions, which she answered politely, Adam ushered the four new mutants away.

            Once the two siblings were alone, Adam turned to Dylan saying, "There's an extra room all ready to welcome you home."

            "Hmm, home," Dylan repeated thoughtfully.  "I'm not sure I remember what that means."

            He pulled her into a hug.  "It means that you are safe, and protected and that I am going to take care of you.  You'll never be hurt again, so long as I live."

            "Is that guilt I hear buried in your voice?"

            "No matter what you try to convince me of, Dyl, there will always be guilt buried in my voice."

            "You didn't know,"

            "I should have,"

            Dylan sighed.  "I need to get some sleep.  But in the morning—or late afternoon—you have to tell me what all you told them so we can keep our story straight.  At least until such time as you decide to tell them the whole truth."

            Adam nodded in agreement.  "You always were the smart one."  He smirked, tapping her on the nose.

            She smiled back.  "So, where's my room?"

                                                                                                * * *

            Jesse lay flaked out on the sofa, left arm behind his head, right arm resting on this stomach.  Shalimar practiced Tai Chi, calming herself.

            "What do you think of her?"  Jesse inquired, turning his head in her direction.

            Mischief settled into Shalimar's eyes.  "She's Adam's sister, that's all I know about her.  Therefore, I have not yet formed an opinion.  The question is what do you think of her?"

            He grinned.  "She said she was going to dream about me tonight."

            "Oh boy," Shalimar shook her head, folding her arms across her chest.  "What else did she say that's got you heart all a-flutter?"

            "I have a nice smile."  He knit his eyebrows together.  "And haunting blue eyes.  Is that a good thing?" 

            Shalimar shrugged.  "Well, you do have a nice smile."

            Jesse sat up, studying his friend's posture and facial expression.  "Oh, just say it already."

            She sighed heavily.  Of course Jesse could sense that there was something she wasn't saying; he always could.  "I just hope she is who she says she is, that's all." 

            "What—you think she's lying?"

            "I don't know."  Shalimar shook her head.  "No, I don't think she's lying.  I just have a bad feeling this is going to go very wrong.  Something doesn't seem right."

            "What something?"

            She sucked her bottom lip, trying to put her thoughts into words.  "Did you see any of the men Dylan was running from?"

            Jesse thought back for a few seconds, before shaking his head.  "No."

            Shalimar's expression darkened.  "What if they let her go?"