Dark Tomorrow

Chapter 9: A Hard Road

Emma gently brushed Shalimar's hair back with her fingers, smiling with real joy, as she looked down at the unconscious feral.

"Bring her back to Sanctuary," Adam's voice said over their comrings. "She's injured and I need to administer the cure as well."

"We just have to wait for Brennan." Jesse responded. He was holding Shalimar's hand in his, and he said to Emma in an angry voice: "I could have beaten that guy to a pulp myself. Come on, Shal," he urged, his voice softening as he looked down at her closed eyelids. "Wake up."

Emma went to the Helix door and looked out. "Where IS Brennan?" she demanded.

"Give him a sec." Jesse said with a slight smile. "He has a debt to repay in full."

At that moment, they saw Brennan, running towards them from the trapdoor. He didn't seem to be injured; there was only one cut on his forehead. He looked pretty happy with himself, but also a little grim and obviously worried about Shal. He reached the Double Helix and leaped in, bringing the door to a close behind him.

"That was quick." Jesse commented.

Brennan flashed him a quick grin. Then he asked: "How is she?"

"No change. We have to get back." Emma started the Helix and she and Jesse went to the front, knowing Brennan would want to be with Shalimar now. They could spend time with their lost teammate later.

Brennan gripped Shalimar's hand tightly as he sat down beside her. For a few moments there was silence in the aircraft as they concentrated on getting Shalimar back to Adam quickly.

Then Jesse asked Brennan: "What happened to Max?"

Brennan said nothing.

"Brennan?" Jesse turned around to look at him and even Emma glanced back.

"Max is dead." Brennan said shortly.

There was stunned silence in the Helix as the others digested this information. Jesse, when he had recovered from the shock, shrugged and said: "He deserved it. He was a tortured mutant anyway; he's better off dead."

"Maybe, but Adam won't be happy that one of his mutants is dead." Emma said quietly. "He considers them all his children." She sighed. "But he did deserve to die for what he did to Shal."

They rode the rest of the way in silence, Shalimar still locked in the cage of her unconscious.

***

Shalimar awoke to a strange sensation. It felt as thought there were lasers boring into her body, and she blinking in the bright lab lights, she wondered for a second where she was and why this place was so familiar.

"You're awake." A warm male voice said, drenched with relief and happiness. "Thank God."

She looked up at him, stirring slightly in her position under the scan. "Adam?" she blurted hesitantly, her eyes confused and slightly frightened. "Where - where's Brennan?"

Adam smiled down at her, hardly able to believe that she was actually here, right with them again, and safe. It would be a hard road to recovery, but she'd make it - he knew she would.

"They're all resting." He told her. "Brennan was with you continuously for the past two days, with Jesse and Emma taking hour-long shifts."

"Two days?" she gasped. "I've been out that long?"

Adam sighed. "Max gave you a memory potion, Shal. I've injected you with the cure. It should take effect completely in another few hours. Of course, you'll still be a little weak and disoriented, but you'll be fine."

For a moment, she said nothing, and then: "Do I really belong here, Adam?"

"Oh, Shalimar," he took her hand and squeezed it. "You belong with the people who love you, and believe me when I tell you that we all love you. This past year has been the hardest of all our lives, and none of us were really able to come to terms with losing you." He kissed her forehead. "We don't want that ever happening again. You're the daughter I never had, and I'd give myself up to Genomex before letting anything happen to you again."

Her eyes brimmed with tears at the sincerity and emotion in his voice, and for a moment, she remembered him . . .

Closing her eyes and resting her head back on the cool pillow again, she let herself sink back into drowsy sleep, but not before squeezing Adam's hand in a gesture that spoke more volumes than any words.

***

"How is she, Adam?" Jesse asked.

"She's asleep." Adam reported, smiling. "But she'll be fine."

They all glanced at each other. They knew Shalimar would have problems fitting in with Mutant X again, and that it would be a while before she'd remember every little thing that had happened in her past and recover from the trauma Max had inflicted on her.

But they were all prepared to do everything they could to help her through it and be there for her in ways that they hadn't been at that nightclub one year ago.

"How long before she can get back into action?" Brennan asked, knowing that the inner Shalimar's first concern would be her fighting. "She'd want to know."

Adam shrugged. "A month, give or take a few days depending on how strong she can be - and I believe she can be very strong."

"Not many people would have survived her experiences." Emma pointed out.

"We'll help her through this." Jesse vowed. "Until then, I think the most important thing to know right now is that she's safe."

Brennan nodded, unable to suppress a smile. "Yeah, we have our Shal back."

TBC.

A/N: Tenth chapter coming up soon, please R&R and let me know what you guys think of this! I didn't want to make things too fluffy and all-okay as soon as Shal gets back, so there will be a couple of problems . . .ahem. Stay tuned!