Disclaimer: I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Santa Claus will come
through but, until then, Mutant X and all it's characters do not belong to
me.
Words in / / = Thoughts.
Words in * * = Italics.
*
Chapter 9.
Seven days later.
With the exception of Shalimar, the Mutant X team were all nursing killer hangovers after their New Year's Eve party.
Nobody was sure what Brennan had spiked the punch with - even he could not remember - but, whatever it was, it was potent.
Adam, as the soberest of the four, was in his lab, drinking pot after pot of coffee and attempting to work.
Emma was desperately trying to find a hangover remedy that actually worked and, by ten am, she had already tried half a dozen expressos, a fried breakfast, a bloody Mary and a foul-tasting remedy that Adam had concocted for her, whose ingredients he refused to reveal. Shalimar had told her that Adam had developed the hangover cure when she and Jesse were in their late teens and that they had always been firmly convinced that it was his way of punishing them for overindulging. Emma believed her.
Brennan had taken a couple of asprin, a cup of coffee and a book of poetry to the rec room and had promptly fallen asleep on the couch.
Jesse, who had developed a liking for Brennan's specially doctored punch, was in the worst condition. After spending a few hours with his head over the toilet bowl, regurgitating every morsel of food he had consumed in the past month, he crawled into bed and pulled the covers over his head, moaning in agony every time a glimmer of late managed to find its way into his little cave.
He was too hungover to even notice Shalimar as she stood in his doorway, faithfully filming every second of his misery.
* * * "NO!"
"Adam, please!"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Adam suppressed a smile when he saw the horrified faces of three of the members of his team.
They were all gathered in the rec room. Brennan, Emma and Jesse were all nursing their hangovers and Shalimar was alternating between being sympathetic and mocking.
Adam's news had stunned them all into horrified silence for a few minutes before they could answer.
"I'm sorry, guys, but I just got a call from a New Mutant on the run from the GSA who needs to be moved into a safehouse immediately. Two of you will have to go. Anyway," He added sternly. "It serves you right for overdoing it."
Brennan snorted. "This from the man who spent last night dancing around Sanctuary singing 'I Feel Pretty'!"
"Thank you for volunteering, Brennan." Adam gave him a nasty smile. "Who else wants to go?"
Emma and Jesse carefully avoided his gaze.
"I'll go." Shalimar piped up hopefully.
"I'm not *that* hungover, Shalimar." Adam told her firmly before returning his attention to the last two members of his tyeam, who squirmed under his scrutiny, wishing that they could become invisible. "Jesse. . ."
His face fell.
"Ha ha!" Emma smiled gleefully.
". . .I need you to help me with a few things in the lab later on." Adam continued, watching as Emma's face fell. "Emma, you can go with Brennan."
"Me and my big mouth!" Emma grumbled, following Brennan towards the Double Helix.
"Oh, and Jesse?" She heard Adam say as she left. "I think that you need some of my special hangover remedy."
She smiled to herself.
At least there was *some* justice left in the world.
* * *
Half an hour later.
Shalimar had been feeling restless all day.
She had tried reading and meditating but she had been unable to concentrate.
Her mind wandered from whatever she was trying to direct her attention to and she didn't seem to be capable of keeping still.
In desperation, she had tried sneaking onto the dojo for a clandestine workout with one of the holographic GSA agents, only to be caught by Adam and subjected to one of his 'safety and responsibility' lectures.
As soon as he paused to take breath, she muttered something about 'things to do' and fled, heading for the kitchen where Jesse was trying to find something to counteract the taste of Adam's hangover remedy/punishment.
She had barely reached the doorway when she called out for Adam, who came running.
"What is it, Shal?" His tone was slightly panicked.
He followed her gaze down to rapidly accumulating puddle at her feet.
"I think that it's time."
* * *
"Guys? Guys? Are you there?"
Jesse's voice filtered through the Double Helix speakers.
"Calling to brag, Jess?" Brennan asked him grumpily.
"Just because you were lucky enough to escape the torment of combining a rescue mission with a hangover doesn't mean that you should tease those less fortunate." Emma added indignantly.
"Uh, guys," His voice was slightly crackly. "Shal just went into labour."
"What!" Brennan exclaimed.
"She's not due for another six weeks." Emma reminded him. "Are you sure that this isn't a false alarm?"
"The puddle on the kitchen floor says it isn't."
An agonized scream, audible even over the comlink, interrupted their conversation.
"Shal!" Brennan whispered, concerned. "We've got to turn back! We'll be there in twenty minutes!"
"No." Jesse told him. "Those New Mutants still need to be placed in the Underground. Adam said that first labours can last for hours, sometimes even days. You'll be back in plenty of time. Adam and I will take good care of Shal until you get back. Everything will be fine."
Another scream tore through the communications system.
"Jesse!" Brennan and Emma could hear Adam calling Jesse's name.
"Listen, I gotta go."
Jesse cut hte comlink, leaving Brennan and Emma sitting, worried, in the silence.
* * *
"JESSE!" Shalimar shrieked in rage as soon as she saw him. "IF YOU DON'T GET RID OF THAT GODDAMN CAMERA, I'LL BEAT YOU TO DEATH WITH IT!"
Jesse grinned roguishly. "Are you planning on kissing your baby with that mouth, Shal?"
"Adam!" Shalimar appealed to the older man, who glared up at the molecular.
"Don't upset her, Jesse!" He scolded. "And I forbid you to film Shalimar without her permission, Is that understood?"
"Yes, Adam." Jesse murmured meekly, before turning to Shalimar with a coaxing smile on his face. "Come on, Shal, think about it - years from now, you and Brennan may end up being very glad to have a record of the birth of your first child and anyway," He gave her his best 'innocent and appealing' look - an art he had never quite mastered. "Think of poor Brennan. DOn't you want him to be able to remember every minute of this special day?"
"If I agree, will you shut up?"
"Deal!"
* * *
Twenty minutes later.
"Okay." Emma smiled at the two New Mutants - a man and a woman in their early twenties. @Welcome to your new home. Allison" The dark-complexioned woman waved. "Will show you around. We'll get your new identities to you as soon as possible."
"Thanks." The young woman said. Her companion just smiled shyly.
"Can we go now?" Brennan called impatiently from the Double Helix, not caring if he was being rude. If the Helix had had a horn, he would have been beeping it.
Emma gave the two new Mutants an apologetic smile. "I'd better go."
She headed out to the ship, where Brennan was waiting for her.
/At least he didn't take off without me. /
* * *
"Alright, Shalimar, you're fully dilated. It's time to push." Adam's voice was muffled behind the sterile white mask he wore.
"No!" Shalimar protested weakly, fighting against the urge to push with every ounce of strength she possessed. "I want to wait until Brennan gets here!"
"Shalimar." Adam's voice was stern. "If you don't start pushing, you are going to end up with a baby crawling out of you! Either way, you are going to give birth very soon. This baby is ready to come out. Please," He continued in a gentler voice. "Make it easier for yourself. Just push."
Shalimar screamed as another wave of contractions hit her, clinging to the bedpost for dear life.
"Adam! Please! Make it stop!"
Jesse was moving around the bed with his camcorder, getting shots from every angle.
He had given up on the idea of holding Shalimar's hand when she had broken two of his fingers during a particularly bad contraction.
"Alright." Adam's voice held a note of relief and triumph. Jesse moved behind the older man "It's crowning."
Jesse fainted.
* * *
Fifteen minutes later.
"Come on! Come on! Come on! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" Brennan chanted as he landed the Double Helix after the fastest journey Emma had ever undergone.
There was no way she was ever letting that man drive again!
As soon as the Double Helix touched ground in the docking bay, Brennan climbed out and tore off in the direction of the lab, leaving Emma to run after him.
* * *
"Am I too late? Is it born? Did I miss it?"
They heard Brennan before they saw him.
He raced into the lab and took Shalimar into his arms, hugging her tightly.
"I got back as soon as I could." He said, slightly breathless. "Am I too late?"
"No." Shalimar smiled at him. "You're just in time." She gestured towards the little wheeled crib across from her. "In there."
Brennan moved over beside the crib, his heart filled with awe.
/I'm a Daddy! /
He looked down and his face paled.
"Twins?"
TBC.
*
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I know it's mean to leave it like this, but I couldn't resist. Next chapter: Meet the twins.
Words in / / = Thoughts.
Words in * * = Italics.
*
Chapter 9.
Seven days later.
With the exception of Shalimar, the Mutant X team were all nursing killer hangovers after their New Year's Eve party.
Nobody was sure what Brennan had spiked the punch with - even he could not remember - but, whatever it was, it was potent.
Adam, as the soberest of the four, was in his lab, drinking pot after pot of coffee and attempting to work.
Emma was desperately trying to find a hangover remedy that actually worked and, by ten am, she had already tried half a dozen expressos, a fried breakfast, a bloody Mary and a foul-tasting remedy that Adam had concocted for her, whose ingredients he refused to reveal. Shalimar had told her that Adam had developed the hangover cure when she and Jesse were in their late teens and that they had always been firmly convinced that it was his way of punishing them for overindulging. Emma believed her.
Brennan had taken a couple of asprin, a cup of coffee and a book of poetry to the rec room and had promptly fallen asleep on the couch.
Jesse, who had developed a liking for Brennan's specially doctored punch, was in the worst condition. After spending a few hours with his head over the toilet bowl, regurgitating every morsel of food he had consumed in the past month, he crawled into bed and pulled the covers over his head, moaning in agony every time a glimmer of late managed to find its way into his little cave.
He was too hungover to even notice Shalimar as she stood in his doorway, faithfully filming every second of his misery.
* * * "NO!"
"Adam, please!"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Adam suppressed a smile when he saw the horrified faces of three of the members of his team.
They were all gathered in the rec room. Brennan, Emma and Jesse were all nursing their hangovers and Shalimar was alternating between being sympathetic and mocking.
Adam's news had stunned them all into horrified silence for a few minutes before they could answer.
"I'm sorry, guys, but I just got a call from a New Mutant on the run from the GSA who needs to be moved into a safehouse immediately. Two of you will have to go. Anyway," He added sternly. "It serves you right for overdoing it."
Brennan snorted. "This from the man who spent last night dancing around Sanctuary singing 'I Feel Pretty'!"
"Thank you for volunteering, Brennan." Adam gave him a nasty smile. "Who else wants to go?"
Emma and Jesse carefully avoided his gaze.
"I'll go." Shalimar piped up hopefully.
"I'm not *that* hungover, Shalimar." Adam told her firmly before returning his attention to the last two members of his tyeam, who squirmed under his scrutiny, wishing that they could become invisible. "Jesse. . ."
His face fell.
"Ha ha!" Emma smiled gleefully.
". . .I need you to help me with a few things in the lab later on." Adam continued, watching as Emma's face fell. "Emma, you can go with Brennan."
"Me and my big mouth!" Emma grumbled, following Brennan towards the Double Helix.
"Oh, and Jesse?" She heard Adam say as she left. "I think that you need some of my special hangover remedy."
She smiled to herself.
At least there was *some* justice left in the world.
* * *
Half an hour later.
Shalimar had been feeling restless all day.
She had tried reading and meditating but she had been unable to concentrate.
Her mind wandered from whatever she was trying to direct her attention to and she didn't seem to be capable of keeping still.
In desperation, she had tried sneaking onto the dojo for a clandestine workout with one of the holographic GSA agents, only to be caught by Adam and subjected to one of his 'safety and responsibility' lectures.
As soon as he paused to take breath, she muttered something about 'things to do' and fled, heading for the kitchen where Jesse was trying to find something to counteract the taste of Adam's hangover remedy/punishment.
She had barely reached the doorway when she called out for Adam, who came running.
"What is it, Shal?" His tone was slightly panicked.
He followed her gaze down to rapidly accumulating puddle at her feet.
"I think that it's time."
* * *
"Guys? Guys? Are you there?"
Jesse's voice filtered through the Double Helix speakers.
"Calling to brag, Jess?" Brennan asked him grumpily.
"Just because you were lucky enough to escape the torment of combining a rescue mission with a hangover doesn't mean that you should tease those less fortunate." Emma added indignantly.
"Uh, guys," His voice was slightly crackly. "Shal just went into labour."
"What!" Brennan exclaimed.
"She's not due for another six weeks." Emma reminded him. "Are you sure that this isn't a false alarm?"
"The puddle on the kitchen floor says it isn't."
An agonized scream, audible even over the comlink, interrupted their conversation.
"Shal!" Brennan whispered, concerned. "We've got to turn back! We'll be there in twenty minutes!"
"No." Jesse told him. "Those New Mutants still need to be placed in the Underground. Adam said that first labours can last for hours, sometimes even days. You'll be back in plenty of time. Adam and I will take good care of Shal until you get back. Everything will be fine."
Another scream tore through the communications system.
"Jesse!" Brennan and Emma could hear Adam calling Jesse's name.
"Listen, I gotta go."
Jesse cut hte comlink, leaving Brennan and Emma sitting, worried, in the silence.
* * *
"JESSE!" Shalimar shrieked in rage as soon as she saw him. "IF YOU DON'T GET RID OF THAT GODDAMN CAMERA, I'LL BEAT YOU TO DEATH WITH IT!"
Jesse grinned roguishly. "Are you planning on kissing your baby with that mouth, Shal?"
"Adam!" Shalimar appealed to the older man, who glared up at the molecular.
"Don't upset her, Jesse!" He scolded. "And I forbid you to film Shalimar without her permission, Is that understood?"
"Yes, Adam." Jesse murmured meekly, before turning to Shalimar with a coaxing smile on his face. "Come on, Shal, think about it - years from now, you and Brennan may end up being very glad to have a record of the birth of your first child and anyway," He gave her his best 'innocent and appealing' look - an art he had never quite mastered. "Think of poor Brennan. DOn't you want him to be able to remember every minute of this special day?"
"If I agree, will you shut up?"
"Deal!"
* * *
Twenty minutes later.
"Okay." Emma smiled at the two New Mutants - a man and a woman in their early twenties. @Welcome to your new home. Allison" The dark-complexioned woman waved. "Will show you around. We'll get your new identities to you as soon as possible."
"Thanks." The young woman said. Her companion just smiled shyly.
"Can we go now?" Brennan called impatiently from the Double Helix, not caring if he was being rude. If the Helix had had a horn, he would have been beeping it.
Emma gave the two new Mutants an apologetic smile. "I'd better go."
She headed out to the ship, where Brennan was waiting for her.
/At least he didn't take off without me. /
* * *
"Alright, Shalimar, you're fully dilated. It's time to push." Adam's voice was muffled behind the sterile white mask he wore.
"No!" Shalimar protested weakly, fighting against the urge to push with every ounce of strength she possessed. "I want to wait until Brennan gets here!"
"Shalimar." Adam's voice was stern. "If you don't start pushing, you are going to end up with a baby crawling out of you! Either way, you are going to give birth very soon. This baby is ready to come out. Please," He continued in a gentler voice. "Make it easier for yourself. Just push."
Shalimar screamed as another wave of contractions hit her, clinging to the bedpost for dear life.
"Adam! Please! Make it stop!"
Jesse was moving around the bed with his camcorder, getting shots from every angle.
He had given up on the idea of holding Shalimar's hand when she had broken two of his fingers during a particularly bad contraction.
"Alright." Adam's voice held a note of relief and triumph. Jesse moved behind the older man "It's crowning."
Jesse fainted.
* * *
Fifteen minutes later.
"Come on! Come on! Come on! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" Brennan chanted as he landed the Double Helix after the fastest journey Emma had ever undergone.
There was no way she was ever letting that man drive again!
As soon as the Double Helix touched ground in the docking bay, Brennan climbed out and tore off in the direction of the lab, leaving Emma to run after him.
* * *
"Am I too late? Is it born? Did I miss it?"
They heard Brennan before they saw him.
He raced into the lab and took Shalimar into his arms, hugging her tightly.
"I got back as soon as I could." He said, slightly breathless. "Am I too late?"
"No." Shalimar smiled at him. "You're just in time." She gestured towards the little wheeled crib across from her. "In there."
Brennan moved over beside the crib, his heart filled with awe.
/I'm a Daddy! /
He looked down and his face paled.
"Twins?"
TBC.
*
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I know it's mean to leave it like this, but I couldn't resist. Next chapter: Meet the twins.