Dark Tomorrow
Chapter 7: Beautiful Orchid
It had been five days since they had seen Shalimar, and at two in the morning, Brennan still could not fall asleep. He turned over onto his back in his cool bed, feeling the wetness of his pillow beneath his weary head.
The usual night sounds could be heard around him. Emma's sleep-talking murmurs from a few doors away, Jesse's ragged breathing that often indicated his crying, Adam's clicking and tapping in the lab downstairs.
Brennan yearned for her in ways that he'd never felt before. He missed everything about her - her fiery temper, her seductive flirting, and her playful punching . . . the way she was always there to save her friends' butts, to talk them out of crazy ideas yet attempting them herself, the way she was so easy to talk to that even he himself and even Jesse had opened up to her and trusted her in a way that they had never done with anyone before and never would . . . he missed so deeply her beautiful eyes and glorious golden locks of hair, her musical voice and husky laugh, and that smile.
He felt that surge of fierce jealousy as he thought about what Max must have done with her and to her. The jealousy grew to anger as it always did, and his heart aching unbearably, Brennan swore he'd find Shalimar and bring her home to them - to him - even if he had to die for it.
Where was she? What was she doing now? Was she thinking about Mutant X . . .about him, like he was constantly thinking and aching for her?
"Oh, Shal." Brennan whispered into the darkness of his room.
The sound of clattering footsteps outside and doors slamming was so unexpected that Brennan sat bolt upright in his bed, switching on the light immediately. A split-second later, Emma burst into his room, clutching her throbbing head. Brennan was in a pair of dark jeans and without a shirt, but he didn't seem to notice as he stood up.
"Emma?" he stared at her in a little concern. "What's wrong?"
Jesse and Adam appeared in the doorway, Jesse's eyes scared and red and Adam's eyes tired, but worried. "What happened?" Adam asked, his tone completely paternal.
"Shal . . ." Emma gasped, staring at Brennan, moving towards him. "She's trying to reach you, Brennan. Through me." She gasped and touched Brennan's temples with her fingertips. Immediately, Brennan felt a flood of images invade his mind in a crazy jumble.
Slowly they cleared and Brennan heard a voice, from far away: "Help me, Brennan. Save me . . .black orchid. Black orchid."
And it was gone.
Emma withdrew her fingers, looking shaken. "My God. I've never heard of that happening before. It must have taken a hell of a lot out of her to force the cry through me to you, through the walls that the potions built."
"More like nearly killed her," Adam said grimly. "That effort would have knocked her out, wherever she is. Oh, Shalimar." He sighed, tears stinging his eyes. Then he looked at Brennan. "Did she say anything that could have pinpointed her location?"
"She - she said 'black orchid'." Brennan whispered, his heart wrenching at the experience he'd just had.
Jesse looked confused. "Black orchid?" he frowned. "What could that mean? It could mean a nightclub or restaurant, but there aren't any around here with that name. I could run a full check, though."
"It could mean literally a black orchid," Emma suggested. "But that makes no sense."
"Black orchid . . ." something awoke in Brennan's long-suppressed memories. "Oh my God. There was a beautiful old cemetery up in the hills; it was Shal's special place and she took me there once. When we there - she pointed out that the only thing that grew in the place were orchids, and she said so poetically: 'in the shadow of death, only orchids seem to survive here. Black orchids, Brennan, because no light reaches them here'. I remember that."
They looked at each other.
"What does that mean?" Adam rubbed his head, thinking deeply. "Is Shalimar trying to tell us that she wants us to bury her in our past and forget?"
"No!" Brennan said violently. "She asked me to help her. No, Adam, this means something else."
"I saw an image of a long flight of stairs going down into a tunnel when she was trying to reach us," Emma offered helpfully, her face screwed up in the effort to remember every little detail. "Does that help?"
Jesse snapped his fingers. "Hang on a sec! This cemetery, Brennan, is in the hills, right? Didn't you build one of your first labs in the hills, Adam?"
"That's right," Adam's voice rose with hope. "There built a cemetery very close to the trapdoor in the land that leads down a flight of stairs into the tunnel that takes us to the lab." His eyes shone for the first time in so long. "My God, could it be possible that Max is using that lab and it's housing quarters now to hold and live with Shalimar?"
"I think it's more than possible." Brennan interrupted. "What the hell are we waiting for? Let's get over there."
Adam nodded. "Emma, get dressed and start the Double Helix. Jesse, after you change I want you to run some checks on that area and the cemetery and match the locations to my database to pinpoint the exact coordinates of the trapdoor. Brennan, get your shirt on. All of you, be careful." He begged. His voice shook for a moment: "And bring her back."
"Get the cure ready, Adam," Jesse gripped his 'father's' shoulder tightly. "We'll bring her back home."
Adam flashed him the first real smile they had seen in days, and his shoulders much more relaxed and his eyes alight with new energy, he left straight to his lab. Emma, hardly able to contain her own hope and elation, raced off to change and start the Double Helix. Jesse stayed there for a moment, and met Brennan's eyes.
"This is it, Bren." He said softly. "Today could be the day we finally get her back."
"We can't lose her, Jesse." Brennan's eyes blazed with dangerous threat. "I'm just dying to meet our friend Max again. If you get to him first, Jess, leave me a piece."
Jesse grinned for a second. "I'll do that." He promised. "I think you deserve the largest chunk, but I'm getting some of it."
"Our Shal is something else, isn't she?" Brennan's eyes softened for a moment. "I love her like crazy, Jess." He chuckled softly, the grief lifting from his face for a split-second. Then his eyes darkened painfully. "She could have died trying to reach me, and she risked Max's wrath. That must mean she remembers something!" he shook his head. "She's amazing. A glow of sunlight when everything else is dark. And Jesse - thanks for everything. You and Adam and Emma have been there for me through everything this past year. I'll never forget that."
"I'll be there forever - for Emma, for Adam, for you and for Shal." Jesse replied, giving Brennan a quick brotherly hug. "Now, come on. Let's get over there and get our teammate out of that madman's hold!" His face lit up boyishly for just a moment. "A beautiful orchid, Bren, that's our Shal."
TBC.
A/N: Is this a false alarm or the real thing? Hmm . . . stay tuned! I hope you guys liked this chapter, though, I hope the story's everything you hoped it would be. Please R&R and let me know, and thanks for all the great reviews so far (great encouragement!!!). Eight chapter upcoming.
Chapter 7: Beautiful Orchid
It had been five days since they had seen Shalimar, and at two in the morning, Brennan still could not fall asleep. He turned over onto his back in his cool bed, feeling the wetness of his pillow beneath his weary head.
The usual night sounds could be heard around him. Emma's sleep-talking murmurs from a few doors away, Jesse's ragged breathing that often indicated his crying, Adam's clicking and tapping in the lab downstairs.
Brennan yearned for her in ways that he'd never felt before. He missed everything about her - her fiery temper, her seductive flirting, and her playful punching . . . the way she was always there to save her friends' butts, to talk them out of crazy ideas yet attempting them herself, the way she was so easy to talk to that even he himself and even Jesse had opened up to her and trusted her in a way that they had never done with anyone before and never would . . . he missed so deeply her beautiful eyes and glorious golden locks of hair, her musical voice and husky laugh, and that smile.
He felt that surge of fierce jealousy as he thought about what Max must have done with her and to her. The jealousy grew to anger as it always did, and his heart aching unbearably, Brennan swore he'd find Shalimar and bring her home to them - to him - even if he had to die for it.
Where was she? What was she doing now? Was she thinking about Mutant X . . .about him, like he was constantly thinking and aching for her?
"Oh, Shal." Brennan whispered into the darkness of his room.
The sound of clattering footsteps outside and doors slamming was so unexpected that Brennan sat bolt upright in his bed, switching on the light immediately. A split-second later, Emma burst into his room, clutching her throbbing head. Brennan was in a pair of dark jeans and without a shirt, but he didn't seem to notice as he stood up.
"Emma?" he stared at her in a little concern. "What's wrong?"
Jesse and Adam appeared in the doorway, Jesse's eyes scared and red and Adam's eyes tired, but worried. "What happened?" Adam asked, his tone completely paternal.
"Shal . . ." Emma gasped, staring at Brennan, moving towards him. "She's trying to reach you, Brennan. Through me." She gasped and touched Brennan's temples with her fingertips. Immediately, Brennan felt a flood of images invade his mind in a crazy jumble.
Slowly they cleared and Brennan heard a voice, from far away: "Help me, Brennan. Save me . . .black orchid. Black orchid."
And it was gone.
Emma withdrew her fingers, looking shaken. "My God. I've never heard of that happening before. It must have taken a hell of a lot out of her to force the cry through me to you, through the walls that the potions built."
"More like nearly killed her," Adam said grimly. "That effort would have knocked her out, wherever she is. Oh, Shalimar." He sighed, tears stinging his eyes. Then he looked at Brennan. "Did she say anything that could have pinpointed her location?"
"She - she said 'black orchid'." Brennan whispered, his heart wrenching at the experience he'd just had.
Jesse looked confused. "Black orchid?" he frowned. "What could that mean? It could mean a nightclub or restaurant, but there aren't any around here with that name. I could run a full check, though."
"It could mean literally a black orchid," Emma suggested. "But that makes no sense."
"Black orchid . . ." something awoke in Brennan's long-suppressed memories. "Oh my God. There was a beautiful old cemetery up in the hills; it was Shal's special place and she took me there once. When we there - she pointed out that the only thing that grew in the place were orchids, and she said so poetically: 'in the shadow of death, only orchids seem to survive here. Black orchids, Brennan, because no light reaches them here'. I remember that."
They looked at each other.
"What does that mean?" Adam rubbed his head, thinking deeply. "Is Shalimar trying to tell us that she wants us to bury her in our past and forget?"
"No!" Brennan said violently. "She asked me to help her. No, Adam, this means something else."
"I saw an image of a long flight of stairs going down into a tunnel when she was trying to reach us," Emma offered helpfully, her face screwed up in the effort to remember every little detail. "Does that help?"
Jesse snapped his fingers. "Hang on a sec! This cemetery, Brennan, is in the hills, right? Didn't you build one of your first labs in the hills, Adam?"
"That's right," Adam's voice rose with hope. "There built a cemetery very close to the trapdoor in the land that leads down a flight of stairs into the tunnel that takes us to the lab." His eyes shone for the first time in so long. "My God, could it be possible that Max is using that lab and it's housing quarters now to hold and live with Shalimar?"
"I think it's more than possible." Brennan interrupted. "What the hell are we waiting for? Let's get over there."
Adam nodded. "Emma, get dressed and start the Double Helix. Jesse, after you change I want you to run some checks on that area and the cemetery and match the locations to my database to pinpoint the exact coordinates of the trapdoor. Brennan, get your shirt on. All of you, be careful." He begged. His voice shook for a moment: "And bring her back."
"Get the cure ready, Adam," Jesse gripped his 'father's' shoulder tightly. "We'll bring her back home."
Adam flashed him the first real smile they had seen in days, and his shoulders much more relaxed and his eyes alight with new energy, he left straight to his lab. Emma, hardly able to contain her own hope and elation, raced off to change and start the Double Helix. Jesse stayed there for a moment, and met Brennan's eyes.
"This is it, Bren." He said softly. "Today could be the day we finally get her back."
"We can't lose her, Jesse." Brennan's eyes blazed with dangerous threat. "I'm just dying to meet our friend Max again. If you get to him first, Jess, leave me a piece."
Jesse grinned for a second. "I'll do that." He promised. "I think you deserve the largest chunk, but I'm getting some of it."
"Our Shal is something else, isn't she?" Brennan's eyes softened for a moment. "I love her like crazy, Jess." He chuckled softly, the grief lifting from his face for a split-second. Then his eyes darkened painfully. "She could have died trying to reach me, and she risked Max's wrath. That must mean she remembers something!" he shook his head. "She's amazing. A glow of sunlight when everything else is dark. And Jesse - thanks for everything. You and Adam and Emma have been there for me through everything this past year. I'll never forget that."
"I'll be there forever - for Emma, for Adam, for you and for Shal." Jesse replied, giving Brennan a quick brotherly hug. "Now, come on. Let's get over there and get our teammate out of that madman's hold!" His face lit up boyishly for just a moment. "A beautiful orchid, Bren, that's our Shal."
TBC.
A/N: Is this a false alarm or the real thing? Hmm . . . stay tuned! I hope you guys liked this chapter, though, I hope the story's everything you hoped it would be. Please R&R and let me know, and thanks for all the great reviews so far (great encouragement!!!). Eight chapter upcoming.
