Disclaimer: Mutant X and its characters still do not belong to me.
Words in / / = Thoughts.
Words in * * = Italics.
*
Chapter 3.
Nine days later.
As a young man, Adam Kane had never been the suspicious type - that was part of the reason that the true purpose of Mason Eckhart and Genome X had been kept from him for so long.
Now, after raising two teenagers with special abilities and a penchant for getting into more trouble than he could ever have imagined was possible as well as leading a team of superheroes who thwarted evil plans on what often seemed to be a weekly basis, he had a well developed sense for when something was going on.
Right now, that instinct was screaming.
For the past week or so, conversations had abruptly ceased whenever he entered a room and his team was coming up with every excuse to leave if he sat down with them.
It was bizarre and rather hurtful.
/It's because of what happened with Shalimar./ He told himself. /They know that I didn't want to change her back. Shal probably hates me for it!/
When he had passed by the rec room earlier that day, his four friends, his children, as he often thought of them, had been whispering about something, quieting abruptly when Brennan saw him, before starting to talk loudly about Proxy Blue's latest bulletin or some other such nonsense.
/It's like I have the plague!/ Adam thought glumly. /I'm not stupid. I don't need to be a telepath to know when they don't want me around./ his thoughts turned angry. /Even if they are mad at me, I won't accept the silent treatment in my own home. I have a good mind to go find out exactly what's going on! I can't take this cold-shouldering much longer!/
* * *
". . . So we'll use the rec room for the party. Shal and I will keep Adam out of the way long enough for you guys to decorate and prepare."
"Hey!" Brennan objected. "Why can't Jesse and I distract Adam while you two do the decorating?"
"Because Emma and I have honest faces, Mr. Ex-Con." His girlfriend answered smartly.
"Fair enough." Jesse agreed, though he looked less than pleased at the thought of spending the afternoon blowing up the hundreds of balloons that Emma had insisted were essential for any party and getting tangled up in a few miles of streamers.
"Brennan, you're in charge of refreshments." Emma continued. "The stuff is all hidden in the closet of my room, all you have to do is lay it out. And when you're spiking the punch - don't give me that look, you and I both know that you will - please don't overdue it. Remember, we may have to work tomorrow morning."
"Adam alert!" Shalimar, whose keen feral senses made her an obvious choice for lookout, interrupted with a hissed warning.
Emma hurriedly stuffed her 'To Do' list into her pocket and motioned for the others to look like they were doing something.
Brennan snatched up the nearest book on the shelves, Jesse picked up his handheld computer console and Emma and Shalimar started talking loudly about their planned trip to the mall.
Adam knew just by looking at them that they were up to something.
"What have you lot done now?" he demanded, looking rather stern.
"Us?" Emma gave him her most innocent, appealing look. "What would we have done?"
"I've known the four of you for quite some time now." His gaze slid to Shalimar and Jesse. "Some of you longer than others. I know when you're up to something."
"Come on, Adam." Jesse's innocent look was nowhere near as convincing as Emma's was. "Don't you trust us?"
Adam frowned at him. "Do you *really* want me to answer that?"
Jesse looked away from the older man's intense gaze, lowering his gaze to the floor. "Not really."
"Adam." Shalimar's voice interrupted him before he could continue his interrogation of the unfortunate molecular. "I don't feel very well."
Adam was at her side in an instant, his suspicions forgotten. "What's the matter, Shal?" his voice was gentle.
"I just feel really tired and nauseous."
Adam pressed a hand to her forehead. "You don't seem to be running a temperature." His concern was evident in both his voice and his expression. "Have you eaten anything unusual lately?"
"I don't think so."
"Come on." He helped her to her feet, supporting her gently. "Let's get you to the lab so that I can run some tests. We can't take any chances with your health."
He led Shalimar out of the rec room, the other three completely forgotten.
Brennan waited a few minutes before speaking, waiting until he was sure that they would not be overheard.
"Wow!" He gave a low whistle. "Shalimar must be right about having an honest face - Adam didn't suspect a thing! Do you think she'll be able to occupy him long enough for us to get everything set up?"
"We'll have plenty of time." Jesse snorted in derision. "Shalimar is Adam's precious little princess, remember? If there's even the slightest chance that she could be sick, Adam won't let her leave the lab until he's tested her for every disease known to mankind since the dawn of time!"
"She saved your ass!" Brennan spoke up in the absent feral's defence. "The way you were squirming, Adam would have got the whole story from you by now!"
"I guess." Jesse acknowledged reluctantly. "Shal's let herself in for a busy afternoon. If the look on Adam's face is any indication, he'll be running tests for the next couple of hours."
"She must really care about this party being a success." Brennan said thoughtfully. "I'm kind of surprised though. I didn't think that Shalimar ever lied to Adam."
Emma said nothing.
If the emotions she had read from Shalimar were any indication, her friend wasn't lying about being sick.
* * *
Shalimar squeezed her eyes shut as Adam drew a sample of blood from her arm.
Her mentor and father-figure was being as gentle as he could and, as a rule, having blood drawn didn't bother her in the slightest, but today the sight of her blood in the vial made her slightly queasy.
"There now." Adam's voice was gentle. "You can open your eyes, Shal. It's all done." He moved the sample out of her eye line, putting on the bench with all of his analysis equipment. "Lie down, now, rest for a while." He covered her with a crisp white sheet.
She was exhausted. Adam had run every conceivable test he could think of on her, taking samples of her bodily fluid and running scans to ensure that her rapidly developing mutant abilities weren't to blame.
"I'll run more tests on your blood." Adam told her, tucking the sheet around her. "I want to rule out the possibility that you are suffering from a delayed reaction to the effects of the serum or . . ." He paused, looking slightly guilty. "The antidote."
"I'm sure that's not it." Shalimar told him earnestly.
Adam smiled at her. "I hope not." He kissed the top of her head and tucked the sheet around her. "Try to sleep for a while. Those tests took a lot out of you."
She caught his hand as he began to move away. "Stay."
"Shal, I have to run those tests to figure out what's wrong with you."
"Stay with me." She insisted. "Please."
He sighed and pulled a chair over by the examination bed, sitting down next to her as she clung to his hand, as she had when she was younger.
"I'll stay for a while." He promised her. "Just until you fall asleep. But I'll have to get to work on those tests."
Shalimar nodded, already drowsing off.
/You don't need to run those tests, Adam. / She thought as she fell into unconsciousness. /I think I know what's wrong. /
* * *
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"That's great! It's just."
"What?"
"Adam is going to kill me when he finds out."
* * *
He hadn't wanted to allow Shalimar to leave the lab when, after sleeping for about an hour, she had woken up and wanted to get back the others but once she hit him with her best 'pleading look', he had been completely unable to stand in her way.
She had spotted Brennan and left with him, giving Adam the chance to get to work on his tests.
He would have finished them already but once Shalimar fell asleep he had been unable to extricate himself from her tight grip and, rather than wake her, he had chosen to wait, sitting by her side for the full hour.
Less than fifteen minutes after Shalimar had left, Jesse ran into the lab, dragging Adam's attention away from Shalimar's blood sample.
"What is it, Jesse?" He tried to keep the irritation from his voice.
Jesse had schooled his features into an expression of seriousness and concern. "It's Shal. She's in the rec room. She wants you to come."
Horrifying images filled Adam's head as his brain churned out scenario after scenario to explain what could have happened to leave the feral unable to come to the lab by herself.
Before Jesse could say another word, Adam had dashed out of the lab, racing towards the rec room.
* * *
The room was in darkness.
"Shalimar?" Adam called softly, growing anxious when she didn't answer. "Are you in here?"
"SURPRISE!!!"
Poor Adam nearly had a heart attack when the lights came back on - courtesy of Brennan - and three of his teammates sprang out from behind the couch, brandishing streamers.
Jesse ran into the room on his mentor's heels, bumping into a stunned Adam, who was frozen in place.
"Surprise." Jesse spoke sheepishly, not meeting Adam's gaze. "I kind of thought that I'd get here first and that I'd be able to jump out with the others, but you were too fast." He explained lamely.
"Better late than never, Jess." Emma comforted.
Adam just glared at the younger man.
"You told me that Shalimar was sick." He accused. "You scared me half to death!"
"I told you that Shalimar was in the rec room." Jesse corrected, grinning impishly. "Which she was. And she did want you here. It's not *my* fault that you jumped to conclusions. I can't be held responsible for that."
Adam frowned, trying his best not to give in and smile.
"You're not mad, are you?" Shalimar asked tentatively, slipping her arm through his.
He patted her hand reassuringly. "Not at you."
"It was Jesse and Brennan's idea." Emma added hastily.
"Traitor!" Brennan scowled good-naturedly.
The four mutants watched anxiously as their leader glared at them, their worry turning to relief as Adam burst out laughing.
* * *
"I can't believe that I didn't realize what was going on!" Adam lamented for what felt like the seventeenth time. "And I call myself a genius!"
"If it makes you feel any better, we did have a hard time keeping it from you." Emma told him helpfully.
"It doesn't."
"So, Adam," Brennan's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Shalimar wouldn't tell us - how old are you?"
"None of your damn business!" Adam retorted, his smile belying the harshness of his words.
"If you knew, he'd have to kill you." Shalimar told them, looking deadly serious.
"You know!" Jesse objected, pouting. "Why can't you tell us?"
"She's sworn to secrecy." Adam informed them, taking another sip of his punch. "Brennan, what on Earth did you put in this?"
"I'm sworn to secrecy." There was a muffled thump as a cushion made contact with his head. "Shal!"
With the exception of Shalimar, they had all had several drinks by now and were slightly on the inebriated side.
Jesse stood, a little unsteadily, and raised his glass.
"To Adam." He hiccupped. "The best leader we could ever ask for." A chorus of 'Here here' from Emma, Shalimar and Brennan interrupted him. "Even if you won't tell us how old you are, we wish you a happy birthday and many more to come."
Adam, who was sitting at the head of the table, surrounded by gifts and wearing a ridiculous party hat with the words 'Birthday Boy' stenciled in it, grinned at the molecular.
"I don't care how drunk you get me, I'm still not telling you how old I am!"
"Uh, guys?" Shalimar cleared her throat, looking a little nervous. "While we're all together, I've got something I'd like to tell you." She paused, unsure how to continue.
Brennan gave her an encouraging smile and a 'Go on' look.
"I'm pregnant!"
You could have heard a pin drop as they digested this information.
Shalimar gave her teammates a shy half-smile.
"Surprise?"
TBC.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapters 1 and 2. I'll update as soon as possible.
Words in / / = Thoughts.
Words in * * = Italics.
*
Chapter 3.
Nine days later.
As a young man, Adam Kane had never been the suspicious type - that was part of the reason that the true purpose of Mason Eckhart and Genome X had been kept from him for so long.
Now, after raising two teenagers with special abilities and a penchant for getting into more trouble than he could ever have imagined was possible as well as leading a team of superheroes who thwarted evil plans on what often seemed to be a weekly basis, he had a well developed sense for when something was going on.
Right now, that instinct was screaming.
For the past week or so, conversations had abruptly ceased whenever he entered a room and his team was coming up with every excuse to leave if he sat down with them.
It was bizarre and rather hurtful.
/It's because of what happened with Shalimar./ He told himself. /They know that I didn't want to change her back. Shal probably hates me for it!/
When he had passed by the rec room earlier that day, his four friends, his children, as he often thought of them, had been whispering about something, quieting abruptly when Brennan saw him, before starting to talk loudly about Proxy Blue's latest bulletin or some other such nonsense.
/It's like I have the plague!/ Adam thought glumly. /I'm not stupid. I don't need to be a telepath to know when they don't want me around./ his thoughts turned angry. /Even if they are mad at me, I won't accept the silent treatment in my own home. I have a good mind to go find out exactly what's going on! I can't take this cold-shouldering much longer!/
* * *
". . . So we'll use the rec room for the party. Shal and I will keep Adam out of the way long enough for you guys to decorate and prepare."
"Hey!" Brennan objected. "Why can't Jesse and I distract Adam while you two do the decorating?"
"Because Emma and I have honest faces, Mr. Ex-Con." His girlfriend answered smartly.
"Fair enough." Jesse agreed, though he looked less than pleased at the thought of spending the afternoon blowing up the hundreds of balloons that Emma had insisted were essential for any party and getting tangled up in a few miles of streamers.
"Brennan, you're in charge of refreshments." Emma continued. "The stuff is all hidden in the closet of my room, all you have to do is lay it out. And when you're spiking the punch - don't give me that look, you and I both know that you will - please don't overdue it. Remember, we may have to work tomorrow morning."
"Adam alert!" Shalimar, whose keen feral senses made her an obvious choice for lookout, interrupted with a hissed warning.
Emma hurriedly stuffed her 'To Do' list into her pocket and motioned for the others to look like they were doing something.
Brennan snatched up the nearest book on the shelves, Jesse picked up his handheld computer console and Emma and Shalimar started talking loudly about their planned trip to the mall.
Adam knew just by looking at them that they were up to something.
"What have you lot done now?" he demanded, looking rather stern.
"Us?" Emma gave him her most innocent, appealing look. "What would we have done?"
"I've known the four of you for quite some time now." His gaze slid to Shalimar and Jesse. "Some of you longer than others. I know when you're up to something."
"Come on, Adam." Jesse's innocent look was nowhere near as convincing as Emma's was. "Don't you trust us?"
Adam frowned at him. "Do you *really* want me to answer that?"
Jesse looked away from the older man's intense gaze, lowering his gaze to the floor. "Not really."
"Adam." Shalimar's voice interrupted him before he could continue his interrogation of the unfortunate molecular. "I don't feel very well."
Adam was at her side in an instant, his suspicions forgotten. "What's the matter, Shal?" his voice was gentle.
"I just feel really tired and nauseous."
Adam pressed a hand to her forehead. "You don't seem to be running a temperature." His concern was evident in both his voice and his expression. "Have you eaten anything unusual lately?"
"I don't think so."
"Come on." He helped her to her feet, supporting her gently. "Let's get you to the lab so that I can run some tests. We can't take any chances with your health."
He led Shalimar out of the rec room, the other three completely forgotten.
Brennan waited a few minutes before speaking, waiting until he was sure that they would not be overheard.
"Wow!" He gave a low whistle. "Shalimar must be right about having an honest face - Adam didn't suspect a thing! Do you think she'll be able to occupy him long enough for us to get everything set up?"
"We'll have plenty of time." Jesse snorted in derision. "Shalimar is Adam's precious little princess, remember? If there's even the slightest chance that she could be sick, Adam won't let her leave the lab until he's tested her for every disease known to mankind since the dawn of time!"
"She saved your ass!" Brennan spoke up in the absent feral's defence. "The way you were squirming, Adam would have got the whole story from you by now!"
"I guess." Jesse acknowledged reluctantly. "Shal's let herself in for a busy afternoon. If the look on Adam's face is any indication, he'll be running tests for the next couple of hours."
"She must really care about this party being a success." Brennan said thoughtfully. "I'm kind of surprised though. I didn't think that Shalimar ever lied to Adam."
Emma said nothing.
If the emotions she had read from Shalimar were any indication, her friend wasn't lying about being sick.
* * *
Shalimar squeezed her eyes shut as Adam drew a sample of blood from her arm.
Her mentor and father-figure was being as gentle as he could and, as a rule, having blood drawn didn't bother her in the slightest, but today the sight of her blood in the vial made her slightly queasy.
"There now." Adam's voice was gentle. "You can open your eyes, Shal. It's all done." He moved the sample out of her eye line, putting on the bench with all of his analysis equipment. "Lie down, now, rest for a while." He covered her with a crisp white sheet.
She was exhausted. Adam had run every conceivable test he could think of on her, taking samples of her bodily fluid and running scans to ensure that her rapidly developing mutant abilities weren't to blame.
"I'll run more tests on your blood." Adam told her, tucking the sheet around her. "I want to rule out the possibility that you are suffering from a delayed reaction to the effects of the serum or . . ." He paused, looking slightly guilty. "The antidote."
"I'm sure that's not it." Shalimar told him earnestly.
Adam smiled at her. "I hope not." He kissed the top of her head and tucked the sheet around her. "Try to sleep for a while. Those tests took a lot out of you."
She caught his hand as he began to move away. "Stay."
"Shal, I have to run those tests to figure out what's wrong with you."
"Stay with me." She insisted. "Please."
He sighed and pulled a chair over by the examination bed, sitting down next to her as she clung to his hand, as she had when she was younger.
"I'll stay for a while." He promised her. "Just until you fall asleep. But I'll have to get to work on those tests."
Shalimar nodded, already drowsing off.
/You don't need to run those tests, Adam. / She thought as she fell into unconsciousness. /I think I know what's wrong. /
* * *
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"That's great! It's just."
"What?"
"Adam is going to kill me when he finds out."
* * *
He hadn't wanted to allow Shalimar to leave the lab when, after sleeping for about an hour, she had woken up and wanted to get back the others but once she hit him with her best 'pleading look', he had been completely unable to stand in her way.
She had spotted Brennan and left with him, giving Adam the chance to get to work on his tests.
He would have finished them already but once Shalimar fell asleep he had been unable to extricate himself from her tight grip and, rather than wake her, he had chosen to wait, sitting by her side for the full hour.
Less than fifteen minutes after Shalimar had left, Jesse ran into the lab, dragging Adam's attention away from Shalimar's blood sample.
"What is it, Jesse?" He tried to keep the irritation from his voice.
Jesse had schooled his features into an expression of seriousness and concern. "It's Shal. She's in the rec room. She wants you to come."
Horrifying images filled Adam's head as his brain churned out scenario after scenario to explain what could have happened to leave the feral unable to come to the lab by herself.
Before Jesse could say another word, Adam had dashed out of the lab, racing towards the rec room.
* * *
The room was in darkness.
"Shalimar?" Adam called softly, growing anxious when she didn't answer. "Are you in here?"
"SURPRISE!!!"
Poor Adam nearly had a heart attack when the lights came back on - courtesy of Brennan - and three of his teammates sprang out from behind the couch, brandishing streamers.
Jesse ran into the room on his mentor's heels, bumping into a stunned Adam, who was frozen in place.
"Surprise." Jesse spoke sheepishly, not meeting Adam's gaze. "I kind of thought that I'd get here first and that I'd be able to jump out with the others, but you were too fast." He explained lamely.
"Better late than never, Jess." Emma comforted.
Adam just glared at the younger man.
"You told me that Shalimar was sick." He accused. "You scared me half to death!"
"I told you that Shalimar was in the rec room." Jesse corrected, grinning impishly. "Which she was. And she did want you here. It's not *my* fault that you jumped to conclusions. I can't be held responsible for that."
Adam frowned, trying his best not to give in and smile.
"You're not mad, are you?" Shalimar asked tentatively, slipping her arm through his.
He patted her hand reassuringly. "Not at you."
"It was Jesse and Brennan's idea." Emma added hastily.
"Traitor!" Brennan scowled good-naturedly.
The four mutants watched anxiously as their leader glared at them, their worry turning to relief as Adam burst out laughing.
* * *
"I can't believe that I didn't realize what was going on!" Adam lamented for what felt like the seventeenth time. "And I call myself a genius!"
"If it makes you feel any better, we did have a hard time keeping it from you." Emma told him helpfully.
"It doesn't."
"So, Adam," Brennan's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Shalimar wouldn't tell us - how old are you?"
"None of your damn business!" Adam retorted, his smile belying the harshness of his words.
"If you knew, he'd have to kill you." Shalimar told them, looking deadly serious.
"You know!" Jesse objected, pouting. "Why can't you tell us?"
"She's sworn to secrecy." Adam informed them, taking another sip of his punch. "Brennan, what on Earth did you put in this?"
"I'm sworn to secrecy." There was a muffled thump as a cushion made contact with his head. "Shal!"
With the exception of Shalimar, they had all had several drinks by now and were slightly on the inebriated side.
Jesse stood, a little unsteadily, and raised his glass.
"To Adam." He hiccupped. "The best leader we could ever ask for." A chorus of 'Here here' from Emma, Shalimar and Brennan interrupted him. "Even if you won't tell us how old you are, we wish you a happy birthday and many more to come."
Adam, who was sitting at the head of the table, surrounded by gifts and wearing a ridiculous party hat with the words 'Birthday Boy' stenciled in it, grinned at the molecular.
"I don't care how drunk you get me, I'm still not telling you how old I am!"
"Uh, guys?" Shalimar cleared her throat, looking a little nervous. "While we're all together, I've got something I'd like to tell you." She paused, unsure how to continue.
Brennan gave her an encouraging smile and a 'Go on' look.
"I'm pregnant!"
You could have heard a pin drop as they digested this information.
Shalimar gave her teammates a shy half-smile.
"Surprise?"
TBC.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapters 1 and 2. I'll update as soon as possible.