Dark Tomorrow
Chapter Eleven: It's Me - Jesse
**
The mall was hectic and animated as usual, every shopper running around crazily, shopping bags flashing everywhere - a scene of absolute chaos.
Shalimar had once loved it, Jesse knew, and he was betting on her having a good time today. To his delight, she did seem to be having a good time, laughing and joking with him like they used to.
Two hours and eight shopping bags later, they sat down in a small coffee shop to have something to drink.
"This is fun," Jesse commented. "I haven't had much fun shopping in a long time. But then, you were always the best person to shop with."
She grinned. Somehow, three of the shopping bags belonged to Jesse. He didn't know how she managed to get him to try on and buy those clothes and shoes. "Well, you're a good personal Ken to dress up," she giggled. "Oh, I'll have a lemon iced tea." She told the waiter.
Jesse couldn't help but grin broadly at that. Lemon iced tea had always been Shalimar's favorite. "Chocolate milkshake for me." He added.
"Hmm . . . chocolate bunny," she smirked. "Some things never change, Jess."
He was amazed. Chocolate bunny had been the nickname Shal had teasingly used for him since they'd become friends on the team and she had caught him one night gulping down chocolate rabbits from the stock kept in the Sanctuary fridge.
"I'm glad they don't." he replied seriously.
She smiled and excused herself to the bathroom. A couple of minutes later, she began to cross the courtyard again. Jesse watched as some skater guy went over to her and said something. It was obviously a lame pick-up line, because Jesse saw Shalimar's eyebrow shoot up. He waited to see if she would flash her eyes at him like she always used to.
"Jesse!" the cry cut into his thoughts and he leaped up, startled. Was she calling him for help?!
He hurried over. "Scoot," he told the skater kid, who looked more than happy to because Shalimar was cowering against Jesse all of a sudden. He turned to Shalimar and led her back to the table. "Shal, are you okay?"
She frowned. "I'm fine, why?"
"Well, you never used to call me for help before. You used to scare those guys away just by flashing your eyes. It was a handy trick."
Her eyes darkened till they were almost frightened. "No, Jesse, I won't ever flash my eyes or go feral again. Never." She said, so forcefully that Jesse flinched. "I will never be a feral again."
Jesse stared at her. "Why not, Shal? Is it because Max was a feral too? Are you afraid to be feral because it will remind you of him? That's ridiculous, because if that was a reason, you'd be afraid of me too, because I have molecular abilities like Max did."
"That's not it." She said softly, her tone so sad and dejected that he felt a pang of compassion and protectiveness towards her.
He reached out and squeezed her hand. "Then tell me why, Shal," he said gently, coaxing her into opening up. "Tell me what Max did to you that made you so scared of being feral. Tell me."
"I - I can't." she wailed. "I just can't."
"Shal," he smiled slightly. "It's me - Jesse. Remember? You can tell me anything. You used to tell me everything."
She hesitated, and he knew that she trusted him, but she was afraid of telling him. He gave her a reassuring, encouraging grin. "Hell, come on, Shal, I told you all about my teddy bear that I still sleep with, didn't I?" he smiled as she giggled. "You remember that. So remember me too, and tell me, Shal. Tell me why you won't be a feral again."
For a long moment, there was silence. Then Shalimar said slowly: "I'm doing it to protect you. To protect you and Brennan and Adam."
"What?" Jesse demanded, shocked. "What - what do you mean? Do you think you'll hurt us if you turn feral? That's silly, Shal, you've never hurt us before."
"Not that way." She muttered softly.
Jesse stared at her. What could she possibly be talking about? What demon was haunting her so badly that she couldn't even become her whole self again?
His eyes hardened. What the hell had Max Reyes done to her?
"Oh, Shal," he said softly. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. He's dead. He doesn't need to haunt your life."
She shook her head. "It's not just him," tears swam in her eyes. "It's me too. I don't ever want to be feral again."
"Tell me what he did to you." Jesse growled, anger surging through him.
"Some secrets are better off buried." She whispered, almost distantly.
His heart began to thud painfully. So there was something wrong - Max HAD done something to her, and that was the root of the fear of being feral. If only she would tell him what it was . . .
"And some secrets fester into wounds that ultimately kill," he told her quietly. "This could be one of them. I want my Shal, my best friend, my sister, back. I'll do anything it takes to surface your secret and destroy your demons. Mutant X will save you and make you one of us again; you can count on that. You can't hide the truth from me forever, Shal."
She looked at him, her soft brown eyes meeting his flashing blue-gray ones. And in that instant, he saw something other than fear, denial, anger or pain.
For just one fleeting second as he spoke, so briefly that he was sure he was imagining things, Jesse saw hope ignite in her eyes.
** TBC.
**
A/N: Chapter Twelve will be up next, and I hope you guys are enjoying this story again. Please review and let me know, and once again, I'm sorry about how long it took to update.
Chapter Eleven: It's Me - Jesse
**
The mall was hectic and animated as usual, every shopper running around crazily, shopping bags flashing everywhere - a scene of absolute chaos.
Shalimar had once loved it, Jesse knew, and he was betting on her having a good time today. To his delight, she did seem to be having a good time, laughing and joking with him like they used to.
Two hours and eight shopping bags later, they sat down in a small coffee shop to have something to drink.
"This is fun," Jesse commented. "I haven't had much fun shopping in a long time. But then, you were always the best person to shop with."
She grinned. Somehow, three of the shopping bags belonged to Jesse. He didn't know how she managed to get him to try on and buy those clothes and shoes. "Well, you're a good personal Ken to dress up," she giggled. "Oh, I'll have a lemon iced tea." She told the waiter.
Jesse couldn't help but grin broadly at that. Lemon iced tea had always been Shalimar's favorite. "Chocolate milkshake for me." He added.
"Hmm . . . chocolate bunny," she smirked. "Some things never change, Jess."
He was amazed. Chocolate bunny had been the nickname Shal had teasingly used for him since they'd become friends on the team and she had caught him one night gulping down chocolate rabbits from the stock kept in the Sanctuary fridge.
"I'm glad they don't." he replied seriously.
She smiled and excused herself to the bathroom. A couple of minutes later, she began to cross the courtyard again. Jesse watched as some skater guy went over to her and said something. It was obviously a lame pick-up line, because Jesse saw Shalimar's eyebrow shoot up. He waited to see if she would flash her eyes at him like she always used to.
"Jesse!" the cry cut into his thoughts and he leaped up, startled. Was she calling him for help?!
He hurried over. "Scoot," he told the skater kid, who looked more than happy to because Shalimar was cowering against Jesse all of a sudden. He turned to Shalimar and led her back to the table. "Shal, are you okay?"
She frowned. "I'm fine, why?"
"Well, you never used to call me for help before. You used to scare those guys away just by flashing your eyes. It was a handy trick."
Her eyes darkened till they were almost frightened. "No, Jesse, I won't ever flash my eyes or go feral again. Never." She said, so forcefully that Jesse flinched. "I will never be a feral again."
Jesse stared at her. "Why not, Shal? Is it because Max was a feral too? Are you afraid to be feral because it will remind you of him? That's ridiculous, because if that was a reason, you'd be afraid of me too, because I have molecular abilities like Max did."
"That's not it." She said softly, her tone so sad and dejected that he felt a pang of compassion and protectiveness towards her.
He reached out and squeezed her hand. "Then tell me why, Shal," he said gently, coaxing her into opening up. "Tell me what Max did to you that made you so scared of being feral. Tell me."
"I - I can't." she wailed. "I just can't."
"Shal," he smiled slightly. "It's me - Jesse. Remember? You can tell me anything. You used to tell me everything."
She hesitated, and he knew that she trusted him, but she was afraid of telling him. He gave her a reassuring, encouraging grin. "Hell, come on, Shal, I told you all about my teddy bear that I still sleep with, didn't I?" he smiled as she giggled. "You remember that. So remember me too, and tell me, Shal. Tell me why you won't be a feral again."
For a long moment, there was silence. Then Shalimar said slowly: "I'm doing it to protect you. To protect you and Brennan and Adam."
"What?" Jesse demanded, shocked. "What - what do you mean? Do you think you'll hurt us if you turn feral? That's silly, Shal, you've never hurt us before."
"Not that way." She muttered softly.
Jesse stared at her. What could she possibly be talking about? What demon was haunting her so badly that she couldn't even become her whole self again?
His eyes hardened. What the hell had Max Reyes done to her?
"Oh, Shal," he said softly. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. He's dead. He doesn't need to haunt your life."
She shook her head. "It's not just him," tears swam in her eyes. "It's me too. I don't ever want to be feral again."
"Tell me what he did to you." Jesse growled, anger surging through him.
"Some secrets are better off buried." She whispered, almost distantly.
His heart began to thud painfully. So there was something wrong - Max HAD done something to her, and that was the root of the fear of being feral. If only she would tell him what it was . . .
"And some secrets fester into wounds that ultimately kill," he told her quietly. "This could be one of them. I want my Shal, my best friend, my sister, back. I'll do anything it takes to surface your secret and destroy your demons. Mutant X will save you and make you one of us again; you can count on that. You can't hide the truth from me forever, Shal."
She looked at him, her soft brown eyes meeting his flashing blue-gray ones. And in that instant, he saw something other than fear, denial, anger or pain.
For just one fleeting second as he spoke, so briefly that he was sure he was imagining things, Jesse saw hope ignite in her eyes.
** TBC.
**
A/N: Chapter Twelve will be up next, and I hope you guys are enjoying this story again. Please review and let me know, and once again, I'm sorry about how long it took to update.
