--------------- Chapter 5 ---------------------

Brennan stopped behind Jesse who had come to an abrupt stop. He could feel Shalimar shaking in his arms and her breathing was way too fast to be normal.

"What's going on Jesse? Why'd you stop?"

"This door." Jesse indicated the metal door they stood in front of. I didn't remember it from when we came through before."

"Well, now you know it's there. Wonderful. Now can you go through it? We need to get out of here before Shal DIES!"

"No, you don't understand. It's a system door; it's locked down with all the others. I can't get through it."

"What! Can't you just phase through it?"

"No, Adam thought of that when he designed this place. I'm not the only new mutant with phasing abilities, if it was just simple enough to phase through the doors other people could get in or out. There's an electronic shield on the other side. I'd get electrocuted if I tried to phase through it." Brennan had the urge to kick something but stopped short, wary of the unconscious feral in his arms.

"What are we going to do?"

"I guess we go back and find out if Adam can think of anything else."

"The guys are coming back, it didn't work." Emma muttered, not sure whether or not Adam was listening.

"Emma, how long do you think you can hold an illusion for?" She looked over at him curious.

"I don't know, I've never tried holding one. I just feed the emotions to the person and let it take itself."

"Do you think you could give Shalimar the illusion that she is outside? I can't keep her medicated without risking long term damage. I need alternatives. Thinking she's outside might affect her body chemistry long enough to get her out for real."

"Will it work?"

"I don't know, but anything's worth a try at the moment."

"Then of course."

"Get yourself ready, the guys will meet you in the medical lab."

She watched Shalimar closely as the others disappeared out of the lab, headed for various computer consoles around Sanctuary. When they were all effectively out of range she relaxed her day-to-day psionic shields, preparing to attempt something new. The feral's elevated heart rate, emphasised by the rapid electronic beep, faded into the background as she began her work. Slowly she gathered a picture in her mind. There was a wood to the south of Sanctuary where she knew Shalimar would go to think or when things got tense in the mountain. She had seen her coming out of them more than once, or sensed her presence in the trees, but had never been able to find the secret place where she would hide herself. Picturing herself at the edge of the trees she pulled together a collage of emotions which would take her there. When she was ready she prepared to project it to the feral, then paused. This wouldn't be like placing a simple illusion in the mind of another. To hold it she would have to get a lot closer and deeper into the emotions. She laid her head on her arms, resting on the side of the bed so she was a breath away from Shalimar's cheek. Slowly she slowed her breathing, watching curiously as blond hair shifted in response. Bringing the bundle of emotions that were the woodland to the fore of her mind she brought it between them like a solid thing, hoping to control the speed in which it fed from one mind to the other. Her breath became a hand holding a box that held the scene, like a snowstorm in a teacup. The box swayed like trees in the wind and Emma felt her powers take over and her eyelids close.

Emma was sat on the dry ground; dead leaves scattered around her, the air crisp to taste. It was autumn and the leaves were red and yellow in the woodland around her. The world vibrated energy like the sunset, and the canopy above her still held enough leaves to hide the sky. She heard childish laughter and looked around her, curious as to its source. There were all sorts of trees around her; pine, oak and yew and through the dense woodland she could see no one. Standing, she was trying to orient herself when she felt something hit her on the head. Looking up she could see nothing and, examining the object she found it to be a pinecone. There was one huge pine tree in the clearing and next to it a tall oak had thick branches that looked perfect for climbing. She smiled softly and turned away from the tree, looking around dramatically, in the wrong direction, for the thrower. There was a rustle and, turning again to look at the oak she found a blond girl sitting on one of the lower branches, trying to suppress a giggle behind a pale hand.

"Hello. And who are you, squirrel?"

"No!" The girl tutt-ed as though reprimanding the psionic for being silly. "I'm not a squirrel." She jumped from her branch, leaving Emma to gasp at the height as she landed softly in the leaves. "I'm Shadow." She held out her hand to shake.

"Shadow indeed? Nice to meet you." Emma took the hand and was pulled forward so that 'Shadow' could whisper in her ear.

"It's a nickname." She giggled again and looked around her as though someone might see. "But I can be a shadow if I want. Watch." And the young Shalimar promptly disappeared. Emma, still digesting the information she'd been given looked around startled.

"Wow, you're really good at that." She told the quiet woodland. "How'd you do it?" A tap on her shoulder made her jump and she span around.

"Now that would be telling." Shalimar, now fully grown, smiled.