BRENNAN'S ENDING

AN: Do you know how hard it is to write something like this to an accompaniment of the lion king soundtrack? All of my flat mates are very drunk I apologise if this isn't up to scratch.

Megan was sobbing softly into the arms of one of the other new mutants that they were transporting as they hurried back to Sanctuary. They were all looking pretty shell-shocked, but then their world had just been torn apart. The injured mutant, revealed to be a fire elemental who had been seen lighting a cigarette with his power, was conscious and seemed to be fairly sound though a little bruised. Emma was trying desperately to convince herself that Adam's wound wasn't as bad as it seemed. The bleeding was even slowing, she noticed, praying that that wasn't simply because it wasn't being pumped as fast. The medical equipment in the helix was limited at best.

There was a bang and a shudder throughout the helix, causing all of the occupants to cry out. Brennan fought to right the craft as it bucked away from the impact.

"What was that?" Emma shouted forward.

"I'm a little busy right now, Emma. I think we're being shot at. The cloak is down, they can see us. And we're heavy at the moment. I'm just going to keep going and try and stay in the air."

The clouds were massing as they limped towards Sanctuary. There had been three more explosions around the helix as it had run, though no more had hit directly like the first. The landing was less than elegant - dropping onto the ground on top of Sanctuary as the engines finally failed. As Brennan lifted Adam from the floor of the helix the first drops of rain were beginning to fall. Brennan hurried with Adam inside and Emma led the new mutants into the garage, grabbing one of the car keys. She turned and handed them to Megan, her face scrubbed free of tears.

"Get everyone out of here. There's directions to one of the safe houses programmed into the GPS." Megan stopped Emma from turning and going with a hand on her shoulder.

"We're willing to fight. We want to fight. We don't want things to be like this." Emma glanced down the corridor where Brennan had taken Adam.

"No. No more fighting. Things are never going to go back to the way they were. For now we just have to hide and hope things will improve eventually. Go. We'll contact you when we can. Someone will have seen the helix go down, we'll have company before long." With a nod, Megan took the keys and headed back to the group. Sighing, Emma span on her heel and ran for the medical lab.

"Jesse." She spoke into her comm. link. "The helix needs you attention. Hazel can you get the kids together and pack up a few essentials, we're evacuating. Brennan," She was speaking now to Brennan who stood in the medical lab that she had reached. "Can you do a security scan and start locking down Sanctuary. I have a feeling we might have company before long." And Emma moved to take Brennan's place at Adam's side, checking quickly over the scans that Brennan had done. She set up a drip and blood transfusion as quickly as she could. Adam had trained her to use all of the medical equipment in Sanctuary, in case something like this happened. She knew exactly what to do. She also knew that try as she might there was very little she could do for Adam but wait.

She listened, in the stillness punctuated only by Adam's shallowing breaths, as the car left the garage and Brennan woke the children. Sandra's bare feet slapped at the wooden floors as she dashed out of her room, excited by the late hour, skidding to a stop as Brennan called her sharply. Emma frowned a little at Brennan, though she knew he meant no harm. It wasn't Sandra's fault that all of these things were going wrong. Adrian cried a little at being woken, and Emma heard Hazel's soft reassurances. Brennan walked by the door with Adrian in his arms, almost asleep again against his shoulder and Sandra close behind, spotting her mother in the medilab and waving excitedly.

"Jesse says he can fix the helix," Brennan explained, handing Adrian back to his mother. "We're going to get everything in that we can so we're ready to go when it's done." Emma nodded her consent. He glanced at Adam and the surety in his eyes faltered a little. "Is he" Emma shook her head short and sharp.

"I'll join you as soon as" She couldn't finish her sentence. "As soon as it's over." She glanced at the kids. "You be good, Sandra, and sit in the Double Helix quietly while Uncle Jesse fixes it." She nodded again with a grin, still not knowing, not understanding what was going on. Brennan and Hazel led them away. Emma's attention was drawn as the steady beat faltered.

Brennan ran to the helix in the light rain. Leaving Hazel and the children with Jesse in the helix he headed back into Sanctuary to run the last security checks and to begin the lockdowns. He was almost finished when the blips began to show up on his scans. He locked down all but the main exit onto the surface and called through to Emma in the medical lab. When there was no response he ran for the helix, shutting the only exterior door. It was mere moments before he was back, having found that Emma wasn't with the others in the helix. He checked again. The blips were getting closer, they were under attack.

With no time to loose he shouted through to Emma and ran back for the main entrance. At least he could be sure that the others were safe, on their way to the safe house to meet up with them. Adam's loss still didn't seem to have sunk in somehow. There wasn't time to mourn yet. For now his job was with the living - keeping them that way. When they had time they would spend time sorrowing for the father they had just lost.

There were six of them - all in police uniforms - and all of them had guns, out and ready. He ducked behind the doorframe as one of them let off an over eager shot. He watched the Helix rise unsteadily into the air and saw three of the men turn and aim. He felt panic rise in his throat at the thought that these men might pluck the people he considered a family out of the air and send them plummeting to the ground. The helix was in no state to take such a landing and offer any kind of protection. From the look of it, Jesse was holding it together with sheer will power.

With a roar of anger Brennan threw all that he could at the six men. Anger and pain and worry seemed to rise within him and channel its self through his hands. When he managed to pull himself back under control four men lay unmoving on the ground. The other two had taken cover and, seeing their chance, leapt up shooting as Brennan faltered. He looked down as two patterns of red blossomed on his chest, looking back up at the men in shock for a moment before keeling over. As darkness gathered he watched the helix rise to freedom and smiled.

"I told you Shalimar. I told you I'd keep them safe."

Emma saw him fall as she skidded into the main hall at his call. She fell to her knees as she felt the wave of darkness overcome her, flooding from her, rejoicing in the release. It threw the men back wards as it hit them and those still able ran and didn't stop. Emma fell to her knees at Brennan's side, cradling his head in her lap as she searched for a pulse. Tears streaked her face and those emotions that she had buried so deep emerged once again with a vengeance, having been seething and gathering under the surface. A hand on her shoulder made her start, but she didn't look up. She didn't need to.

"Why are you here?" It was a moan, she wanted to be alone. She yearned to be alone.

"I came for Adam." Came the simple reply as Shalimar took a seat beside her.

"He need a chauffeur?" An embittered response.

"Just a helping hand. He didn't want to leave you, not right now. It's nice to have someone there when you get to the other side." She sighed. "I didn't want to leave you, you know. When it was time. My mother was here waiting for me, though not the person I was expecting. She explained things." Shalimar sighed again, tiredly, sadly, when Emma made no response. "You have to go Emma. You have to run. There's still a car in the garage. You can get out before anyone else turns up."

"But Brennan I have to help" Shalimar pointed silently to the corner across from where they were sitting. Brennan stood there, smiling sadly. Emma looked back down at the form in her arms.

"Sandra still needs you Emma. She's not old enough to go on without you. Things could have been so much different for me if I'd still had my family. For you too, I think." Emma thought of foster families and her parents proper. Emma thought of Sandra. Emma thought of the tiny angel pendant in her pocket, Shalimar's birthday present.

Lying Brennan's still form carefully on the ground she shut down the main door, locking it up tight, and headed for the garage.