Disclaimer: I tried crying. It didn't work. Mutant X and its characters
still do not belong to me.
Words in // = Thoughts.
Words in * * = Italics. *
Chapter 2.
"What?" Emma looked around at her teammates, an expression of utter bewilderment on her face. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Parties mean work!" Brennan complained.
"Yeah!" Jesse whined. "And I always get stuck with clean-up afterwards!"
"I can't believe you guys!" Emma was indignant. "Do you mean to tell me that you are not prepared to do a little work to cheer Adam up? What about you, Shal?" She took in the expression on her teammate's face and moderated her tone. "Shal, you look scared out of your wits. What's wrong? I thought you liked parties."
"It's not that." Shalimar lowered her voice to a whisper. "It's just, you guys have never tried to throw Adam a surprise party. You have no idea what you are getting us into."
Emma snorted with laughter. "Come on, Shal, it can't possibly be that bad!"
"Can't it?" Shalimar was deadly serious. "You guys have never tried it before."
"And you have?" Jesse asked derisively.
"When I was twelve." Shalimar confessed. "Michael and I - he was a friend of Adam's, he used to work here until a few months after Jesse came to live here." She explained, seeing the blank looks on Emma and Brennan's faces. "We tried to throw a surprise party for Adam's birthday - he'd kill me if I told you which - and organising it was and absolute nightmare!"
"Shal, you were only twelve." Emma tried to pacify her teammate. "It's not surprising that you weren't the most organised."
"It's not that." Shalimar interrupted her. "It's Adam. He has some kind of sixth sense about these things. It's always the same; for weeks on end he'll never leave the lab and then." she lowered her voice dramatically. "As soon as you *want* him to stay there, out of your way, he starts hanging around you - you can't get rid of him. He knew about the party before most of the guests did! He only showed up because he didn't want to disappoint me."
"Shal." Emma spoke with exaggerated patience. "We spend half our time sneaking into top security facilities to rescue mutants! Do you honestly think that we can't keep a secret from Adam for a few days."
"Hey guys." The four mutants started guiltily as the subject of their conversation entered the room. "What are you lot up to?"
"Nothing." Their answers came too quickly.
Adam narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you sure?"
Emma put on her most guileless face. "We're just talking, Adam." She told him innocently. /Please don't make me psi-blast you!/ "Honest."
To her relief, he seemed to accept her answer.
"Alright, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."
The four younger members of Mutant X simultaneously exhaled in relief as their leader left the rec room.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Brennan asked briskly, as soon as he was certain that Adam was out of earshot.
"I can start getting in touch with the safehouses for guests if you like." Jesse offered.
Emma was bewildered. "What's with the sudden change of heart? I thought you two were against the idea."
"We were against the idea when it was just a party, Em." Brennan explained patiently. "Now, with Adam to contend with."
He and Jesse exchanged an unreadable glance.
"It's a challenge!" They finished simultaneously.
* * *
As Jesse's bedroom was the furthest away from the lab, the kitchen and the rec room, it was voted as their headquarters for planning the party.
Jesse was a bit uneasy about this arrangement as it meant that Shalimar had access to his room and he did not trust her not to take advantage of the situation.
He made sure that he kept an eye on her, carefully monitoring her movements at all times.
Brennan was laying out their 'plan of attack' as he called it. "Someone needs to distract Adam while Jesse is making calls and the rest of us are decorating - Shalimar, go to the kitchen, keep Adam busy."
"No." Emma interrupted before Shalimar could agree or disagree. "I'll need Shal to help me with the shopping."
"Besides," Shalimar added. "Adam's known me longer than any of you, he'll know I'm hiding something."
"I agree." Emma said in her 'I'm in charge, don't mess with me' voice. "Brennan, you're on 'distract Adam' detail."
"Bad idea." Shalimar pointed out. "Adam will know that something's going on if we try to distract him. We should just act as normally as possible. Don't make him any more suspicious than he already is."
Emma nodded, acknowledging the wisdom of her teammate's words. "Good call. Alright, guys." She spoke in a commanding tone. "This is how it's going to work. Shal and I are going to go party shopping. If Adam asks, tell him the truth; that we went to the mall. He won't ask questions. Jesse, Brennan, I want you two to make a list of guests, where they're travelling from, security passes and the like - and for god's sake don't let Adam find the list!"
Jesse was indignant. "Do you really think we're that stupid?" Emma just looked at him. "Don't answer that."
"You know, Emma, maybe we shouldn't have a huge guest list." Shalimar suggested. "We would never be able to get them all into Sanctuary without Adam noticing and, anyway, he'll have a fit about the security breaches."
"I agree." Jesse spoke up. "It'll be nicer if it's just the five of us, anyway."
"You're right." Emma conceded. "But you guys know what this means, don't you?"
The guys exchanged dubious looks.
"Since we won't need you to sort out a guest list, you boys are on cleaning duty."
"No!" Brennan moaned.
"Anything but that!" Jesse exclaimed.
"Well," Shalimar offered, giving them her most angelic smile. "You guys could come with us to the mall."
The guys looked hopeful.
"Yeah." Emma continued. "You could carry our bags and help us pick out the right napkins."
"And we could take you clothes shopping - you'll need outfits for the party." Shalimar finished, enjoying the looks of dismay on her male teammates' faces.
Brennan and Jesse didn't need to confer to know their answer.
"We'll clean."
*
TBC.
Words in // = Thoughts.
Words in * * = Italics. *
Chapter 2.
"What?" Emma looked around at her teammates, an expression of utter bewilderment on her face. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Parties mean work!" Brennan complained.
"Yeah!" Jesse whined. "And I always get stuck with clean-up afterwards!"
"I can't believe you guys!" Emma was indignant. "Do you mean to tell me that you are not prepared to do a little work to cheer Adam up? What about you, Shal?" She took in the expression on her teammate's face and moderated her tone. "Shal, you look scared out of your wits. What's wrong? I thought you liked parties."
"It's not that." Shalimar lowered her voice to a whisper. "It's just, you guys have never tried to throw Adam a surprise party. You have no idea what you are getting us into."
Emma snorted with laughter. "Come on, Shal, it can't possibly be that bad!"
"Can't it?" Shalimar was deadly serious. "You guys have never tried it before."
"And you have?" Jesse asked derisively.
"When I was twelve." Shalimar confessed. "Michael and I - he was a friend of Adam's, he used to work here until a few months after Jesse came to live here." She explained, seeing the blank looks on Emma and Brennan's faces. "We tried to throw a surprise party for Adam's birthday - he'd kill me if I told you which - and organising it was and absolute nightmare!"
"Shal, you were only twelve." Emma tried to pacify her teammate. "It's not surprising that you weren't the most organised."
"It's not that." Shalimar interrupted her. "It's Adam. He has some kind of sixth sense about these things. It's always the same; for weeks on end he'll never leave the lab and then." she lowered her voice dramatically. "As soon as you *want* him to stay there, out of your way, he starts hanging around you - you can't get rid of him. He knew about the party before most of the guests did! He only showed up because he didn't want to disappoint me."
"Shal." Emma spoke with exaggerated patience. "We spend half our time sneaking into top security facilities to rescue mutants! Do you honestly think that we can't keep a secret from Adam for a few days."
"Hey guys." The four mutants started guiltily as the subject of their conversation entered the room. "What are you lot up to?"
"Nothing." Their answers came too quickly.
Adam narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you sure?"
Emma put on her most guileless face. "We're just talking, Adam." She told him innocently. /Please don't make me psi-blast you!/ "Honest."
To her relief, he seemed to accept her answer.
"Alright, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."
The four younger members of Mutant X simultaneously exhaled in relief as their leader left the rec room.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Brennan asked briskly, as soon as he was certain that Adam was out of earshot.
"I can start getting in touch with the safehouses for guests if you like." Jesse offered.
Emma was bewildered. "What's with the sudden change of heart? I thought you two were against the idea."
"We were against the idea when it was just a party, Em." Brennan explained patiently. "Now, with Adam to contend with."
He and Jesse exchanged an unreadable glance.
"It's a challenge!" They finished simultaneously.
* * *
As Jesse's bedroom was the furthest away from the lab, the kitchen and the rec room, it was voted as their headquarters for planning the party.
Jesse was a bit uneasy about this arrangement as it meant that Shalimar had access to his room and he did not trust her not to take advantage of the situation.
He made sure that he kept an eye on her, carefully monitoring her movements at all times.
Brennan was laying out their 'plan of attack' as he called it. "Someone needs to distract Adam while Jesse is making calls and the rest of us are decorating - Shalimar, go to the kitchen, keep Adam busy."
"No." Emma interrupted before Shalimar could agree or disagree. "I'll need Shal to help me with the shopping."
"Besides," Shalimar added. "Adam's known me longer than any of you, he'll know I'm hiding something."
"I agree." Emma said in her 'I'm in charge, don't mess with me' voice. "Brennan, you're on 'distract Adam' detail."
"Bad idea." Shalimar pointed out. "Adam will know that something's going on if we try to distract him. We should just act as normally as possible. Don't make him any more suspicious than he already is."
Emma nodded, acknowledging the wisdom of her teammate's words. "Good call. Alright, guys." She spoke in a commanding tone. "This is how it's going to work. Shal and I are going to go party shopping. If Adam asks, tell him the truth; that we went to the mall. He won't ask questions. Jesse, Brennan, I want you two to make a list of guests, where they're travelling from, security passes and the like - and for god's sake don't let Adam find the list!"
Jesse was indignant. "Do you really think we're that stupid?" Emma just looked at him. "Don't answer that."
"You know, Emma, maybe we shouldn't have a huge guest list." Shalimar suggested. "We would never be able to get them all into Sanctuary without Adam noticing and, anyway, he'll have a fit about the security breaches."
"I agree." Jesse spoke up. "It'll be nicer if it's just the five of us, anyway."
"You're right." Emma conceded. "But you guys know what this means, don't you?"
The guys exchanged dubious looks.
"Since we won't need you to sort out a guest list, you boys are on cleaning duty."
"No!" Brennan moaned.
"Anything but that!" Jesse exclaimed.
"Well," Shalimar offered, giving them her most angelic smile. "You guys could come with us to the mall."
The guys looked hopeful.
"Yeah." Emma continued. "You could carry our bags and help us pick out the right napkins."
"And we could take you clothes shopping - you'll need outfits for the party." Shalimar finished, enjoying the looks of dismay on her male teammates' faces.
Brennan and Jesse didn't need to confer to know their answer.
"We'll clean."
*
TBC.