Sorry for the delay, folks.  Thanks to all the people who have been begging me for updates.  My muse has been maimed and I'm not sure when she'll be back in action, but I hope this little snippet will satisfy your appetites for a while until she is back at work.

"How can you see into my eyes
like open doors.
Leading you down into my core
where I've become so numb.
Without a soul
my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold
until you find it there and lead it back home…"

            -Evanescence "Bring Me To Life"

            Brennan wakes up with a jolt, a scream caught in his throat.

            "Whoa, Brennan, whoa, you're safe…" Shalimar is immediately beside him, holding her cellular phone in her free hand.

            "Shalimar, what…" Brennan starts to questions, but stops as his memory returns.

            "You okay?" Shalimar asks, concerned.

            "Is Jesse here?" Brennan asks, glancing around.

            "He's in the bathroom…"

            "You shouldn't be alone with me," Brennan states, flatly.

            "No, Bren, it's not that, he was worried," Shalimar begins, paling.

            "I was just stating a fact, Shalimar." When he glances up at her, his eyes are iridescent.  "I'm not stable enough to be around anyone right now.  That's why I came here."

            "Brennan?  You're awake?"  Jesse appears.

            "For the moment." Brennan realizes that his sliced arms have been bandaged and his ring has been replaced on his finger.  "Where's Adam?"

            "He's with Emma.  You put quite a whammy on her.  She's been sleeping for 2 days now," Shalimar says, quietly. 

            "I feel like she was in my dreams…watching," Brennan replies.

            "How are you feeling?" Shalimar questions.

            "I don't know.  I hurt all over…but I guess the intensity is better…I guess…" Brennan replies, quietly.  His eyes are flashing, fast, and the effect startles Shalimar and Jesse.

            "What is it?  What's wrong?"  Brennan panics, seeing their faces.  He starts to try and bolt.

            Shalimar holds him by the shoulders against the bed.  "Brennan, relax.  Your eyes…they're flashing different colors again, but it's faster…" She puts a hand against his forehead, feeling for fever.  He jerks away from her touch.

            "Jumpy?"  Jesse jokes, trying to relieve some of the tension.

            "More like electrified," Shalimar replies, quietly.

            "Exactly…I need to get up.  How long have I been sleeping?"  Brennan questions, pushing himself to a sitting position.

            "Since yesterday.  You're exhausted, Brennan, maybe you should…" Shalimar begins.

            "I should start pulling myself out of this funk, that's what I should do, Shal," Brennan interrupts.  "I'm going to take a shower.  The water should help my control, it dulls my powers," he says.  "Maybe then I can hold a conversation without having to work so hard to keep control."

            "Brennan," Jesse calls to the larger man.  "We're not leaving without you.  You know that, right?"

            "I know.  Don't you want me to be strong enough to go with you?  I'll be out in a few minutes," Brennan replies, stepping into the bathroom.

            "What do you think?  You think he's serious?" Jesse questions.

            "I think we have to trust him.  Either he's going in there to slash his wrists again, or he'll be back out after a shower.  We have to trust him," Shalimar says, clearly unsure. 

            "The cutting, I just don't understand it," Jesse admits.

            "I had a friend, a human friend who used to do it.  She said that tension and disgust would build up inside her…she would cut herself, she said the pain was like a release of all the pent up emotions.  She was desperately ashamed of it, but she couldn't stop.  She said she was afraid of what would happen if she didn't release it in time…" Shalimar explains, thoughtful.  "The pain must distract him from all the shit going on inside his head," she adds.

            "I guess that makes sense…more than whatever I was thinking," Jesse replies. 

            Shalimar's ring buzzes for her attention.

            "Yeah, Adam?" She answers.

            "Emma's awake.  How's Brennan?" He asks.

            "He's taking a shower.  He's more coherent today, more in control," Shalimar replies.

            "Good.  Tell him…Tell him I would like to talk to him when he's ready," Adam says, hesitating.

            "What's up, Adam?"  Shalimar senses something in her leader's voice.

            "Nothing…Emma, she was witness to some of Brennan's dreams…nightmares, actually…and I want to talk to him about them…"

            "Adam, his dreams, they're his.  I don't know if you should tell him what she saw.  It seems kind of intrusive," Jesse remarks.

            "Very intrusive, Adam.  I think you've done enough right now," Shalimar adds.

            "Okay.  When he's ready to talk to me, I'll be here," Adam concedes.  He turns off the communicator.

            "Adam's really flipping out over this.  He's making bad decisions," Jesse sighs. 

            Shalimar shakes her head.  "I can't believe what he did to Britt.  I mean, I can't think of another solution…but he at least should have talked to Brennan about it.  I mean, he erased all memory of Brennan's existence from his twin brother's mind.  That's so harsh," she says.

            "It's not important now," Brennan says, opening the door to the bathroom, dressed in a robe.  His hair is still wet.

            "You heard?" Jesse questions.

            "Just the last comment," He says, his eyes still flashing frantically.  "But it doesn't matter now," He says.  He is remarkably calm.

            "Why?"

            "Britt's dead.  He blew his brains out a few hours ago," Brennan says, blankly.

            Shalimar and Jesse gasp.  "What?"

            "Adam erased the memories from Britt, but he didn't sever the connection.  I could still get inside Britt's mind," Brennan says, not facing them as he gathers some clothes.  "I saw and felt what he was going through.  Whoever altered his memories wasn't thorough enough.  He still had memories of me, of us in the compound.  But with the erased parts, he didn't understand.  He thought he was going insane.  He put his gun in his mouth and gave up a few hours ago," Brennan says, his face still emotionless.

            "Oh, Bren, I'm so sorry…" Shalimar says, shaken.

            "It's not your fault.  He did it to himself.  You don't have to tell Adam, it'll only upset him and make him blame himself.  He did what he thought was the only option.  It's okay," Brennan says, turning around.

            "Brennan, you're lying," Shalimar says.  "You're not okay."

            "Oh, I know.  But I've got control of myself again.  Except for my eyes, I can't get them to stop flashing.  I'm in control right now, even if it's just for a little while.  I'm going to get dressed," Brennan says, his voice still controlled.

            "You can't keep pushing all your problems away, Brennan, you can't keep hiding from them!" Shalimar calls through the closing door.

            "I don't know how to do anything else," Brennan's voice replies.