The Serum

Part 16

AN: Apologises for the cop-out in the previous chapter. It just happened

"Well, that's final. You're feral again. The process has been completely reversed, it's a miraculous turn around. The changes were moving so slowly before I'm amazed it's completed itself so quickly. Obviously using the powers available to you speeds up the process, and you made full use of your powers last night by the sounds of it."

"I'm going to have to come back aren't I." Eliza whispered, pretending to look over the scan results to avoid looking Adam in the eye.

"No, you know there are lots of new mutants out there, living normal lives with normal jobs. You know that Carlie is a firefighter" She sighed.

"Would you take me back? After" She waved her hand in a gesture that could mean just about anything, finally meeting his eyes.

"You want to come back? After everything you've seen, done, experienced? Of course we'd take you back, you're part of our family and we've missed you, but are you willing to give up the outside world again?"

"It'll be hard to explain it to Granger. But I've missed you Adam. I haven't felt complete for a long time."

"Then welcome home Shalimar." He smiled and helped her down off the scanner, pulling her into a hug.

"Don't celebrate yet, I have to survive telling my other team the news."

"Granger, can I talk to you? It won't take a minute."

"Ella! It's good to see you OK." The tall man greeted as he stood from his desk. "You want to find a room?" He asked, seeing the consternation on her face.

"Yeah, that might be good."

They stepped into an interview room, checking that there was no one in the booth to listen in on their conversation.

"Granger" She bit her lip. She had made a speech for herself, rehearsing it all the way up here, but it had been lost the moment she'd stepped into the Station, Shalimar becoming Eliza once more. "I'm going back to Adam. Tomorrow Eliza will disappear and never be found or seen again. I'm only telling you this because you deserve to know and I know you'd hunt me down if I didn't. You won't be able to keep tabs on me or watch out for me, but I want to keep in contact." She handed him a thin silver case and he took it, a look of shock on his face at what she was saying. "That's a ring, like this one." She showed him her own. "It's for emergency use only, but if you need help from Mutant X, if you come up against something strange and you don't know how to handle it, I want you to call us. You twist it like this," She demonstrated, showing the features of the ring. She paused in the middle of showing him the photographic abilities of the ring and sat on the table, scrubbing at her eyes. He sat down beside her, holding her as she cried.

"I'm going to miss you guys." She managed eventually.

"We're going to miss you too." He sighed. "I don't know what we're going to do without you."

"Jaylynn needs a promotion." She blurted out. "If she makes Sarge, she could have my job, then Tanny steps into hers. Tanny's a bit young, but she'll learn quick. James said she handled herself well with June"

"Looks like you've got it all mapped out." He laughed at her enthusiasm.

"Eliza disappears Granger. That's the way it has to be for this to work."

"It's a hell of a life that, isn't it?"

"I have people around me who make it better."

"Well Shalimar Have a good one. I'll not see you again, I'm sure. Keep yourself safe."

"Remember, you're the ones who know. You have to be there, otherwise people get hurt." She reminded him as they walked together towards the door, stepping back out into the main office.

"What's this, are you telling me how to do my job Ella?"

"No sir. I would never think to sir."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow for your shift." He said, emphasising it so that the whole office heard. There would be police all over town tomorrow looking for a Policewoman, 5'7, short blond hair.

She wouldn't be there.