The Healing of the Dreams
*** Now they are free from the Dream Girl, but as Emma and Jesse heal, Adam discovers there is something more to Sheila's powers, and Emma is slowly weakening. And there is someone who wants to destroy Mutant X ***
Complete Summary: The aftermath of being ensnared in a reverie. Emma and Jesse deal with the effects of Sheila's powers on them, and together, they are healed. But something is wrong with Emma. Sheila's powers have a different effect on her. Adam and the others must find out what is before it is too late. And there's something else - a man with a dark past intent on wreaking havoc inside Mutant X.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Mutant X.
Note ---- Here I am again, Mutant X mania. Part 2 of my previous Mutant X fic, "Ensnared in my Reverie" and you may or may not read it first. But if you've already read it, then read this one away!
+read, enjoy, review+
Chapter 7 - The Reality of Not Being There
"That was really sweet of you," Shalimar remarked to Brennan, as Jesse entered Emma's room. She smiled up at him, and leaning on her toes, she pressed a kiss on his lips.
"Wow," Brennan murmured, staring intently in her eyes. "In that case, I think I'll always be sweet from now on," he added, making Shalimar laugh. She stepped back away from him, shaking her head, but Brennan grabbed her by the waist, and bent his head towards hers.
He didn't let go of her, until he was satisfied [not that Shalimar complained]. When he did let go of her, Shalimar was gasped when she saw the intensity his eyes showed. She saw everything there, all the love he felt for her. She wanted so badly to hear those words from him, but she knew Brennan wasn't the type who would say those words.
"I don't want to lose you," he suddenly whispered to himself.
But Shalimar heard him. Reaching out, she touched his face with her fingertips, and smiling she said, "I won't leave you, Brennan. And I know you're too stubborn to let me."
"Damn right," Brennan muttered, before sealing his lips on hers.
"If we keep doing this," Shalimar said breathlessly. "We'll end up doing," she paused to catch her breath, "you-know-what."
Brennan wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "I think I want to know what this you-know-what is."
"I'll tell you later," Shalimar promised with a laugh. "Besides, we really have to get to Adam. He'll be wondering where we are."
"Not as much as I'm wondering what Jess and Emma are doing right now," Brennan said, casting a look at the closed bedroom door of Emma's. "She's probably recovered, now that Jesse's in there."
Shalimar merely shook her head at him, and chuckled. They stepped inside Adam's office, and saw him, sitting on his chair with a thoughtful faraway glance. "Hey, Adam," she said, approaching his desk.
"Hey guys," Adam replied, blinking. "How's Emma?" he asked, in a fatherly tone.
Shalimar answered, "She's asleep."
Brennan leaned against a cabinet, and crossed his arms. "Or maybe not."
Shalimar shot him a reproving glance that made Adam laugh. "That's okay, Shal. I'm glad to see that Jesse and Emma can heal together. It's, you might think, something that lightens my load."
"Jesse said you wanted to talk to us," Shalimar reminded. She herself was wondering what had happened when Adam was kidnapped. And what was going on. She still kept remembering about that weird building.
Adam cleared his throat. "Right." He looked at the door, and turning back to Shalimar and Brennan, he said, "I guess those two won't be coming after all."
"They're probably busy right now," Brennan muttered. Shalimar didn't appear to have heard him.
Adam nodded distractedly. He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts, unsure of where to begin. The history of McKenna went farther back than Genomex. He was one of the first few mutants, and was powerful. "This thing with Emma," he began to say, "How long has it been going?"
Shalimar turned to Brennan. "A few days, probably."
"Jesse mentioned maybe it's some sort of effect of Sheila's powers," Brennan explained.
Just then, Jesse and Emma walked in.
"Emma! Shouldn't you be resting?" Shalimar blurted out.
Emma gave them all a shy smile. "It's okay. I'm feeling fine, really." She felt a little embarrassed with all the attention they were giving her. It made her feel more vulnerable than she already is.
"Well, great," Adam began, smiling at all of them, "Now that we're all here, I can explain to you what I know." He turned to Emma. "I've asked these two how long have you been experiencing all these visions."
Emma looked at Jesse, then back at Adam. "It started, I think, with Jesse. I knew when he was having nightmares. It was like I was there, except I wasn't. I could see things through his eyes. And later on, I could feel things."
Jesse shrugged. "I think it was after we were both released from the dreamscape."
"And just yesterday, when we were looking for you, Emma kept having these weird moments when she would sort of space out on us," Shalimar continued. "She had one vision from me."
"What was it about?" Adam wanted to know.
"It was actually a dream," Shalimar replied sheepishly. "I kept dreaming that I'd wake up and I'm surrounded with fire, and I can't leave the room because I'm so scared to move, until the fire-" she inhaled sharply and closed her eyes.
Brennan reached for her, and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.
Shalimar opened her eyes, and shook her head, as if she was disappointed with herself. "I just can't control my fear of fire."
"That's understandable, Shal," Jesse said.
"So, these visions that Emma gets from people can be dreams, nightmares, or the real thing," Adam clarified, his chin resting on his clasped hands. "Your mind can pick things up from other minds."
"Something like that," Emma said nodding.
"Do you think it's mostly fear?" Brennan asked. He shrugged. "I mean, the thing she got from Jesse was about his fears, right? About him discovering that Mutant X was destroyed, and with Shalimar, it was about fire." he cast a sideways glance at Shalimar to gauge her reaction.
She gave him a weak smile. "I'm okay," she whispered.
Adam turned his attention to Brennan. "She hasn't gotten to you, yet?"
"It must be of her connection to us," Jesse spoke up. "It can be anything though, fear or something else." He remembered how Emma had picked up his conversation with Brennan earlier, about him having great sex. That surely wasn't about fear.
"Yeah," Shalimar agreed, nodding her head. "I mean, Emma's visions of Adam were of what was happening."
"And it's not just that," Jesse said, a thought occurring to him. He looked at Shalimar and Brennan. "Remember when we went to the abandoned building? You knew there was something eerie about that building," he said to Emma.
"Right," Brennan said. "That there was 'more to that building than meets the eye.'"
Emma shrugged. "I guess I felt it."
"And you knew about the invisible floors," Shalimar pointed out. Seeing the confused look on Adam's face, she hastily explained. "Plus, there was that room where---where, things looked different." She shivered when she remembered the fire.
"What do you mean different?" Adam asked.
Brennan and Jesse explained that room, also mentioning about Shalimar's near panic seeing a wall on fire, when the others didn't see it.
"And that was when you came to my rescue," Adam stated, with a smile. But then his eyes clouded over when he remembered how Emma froze on the spot, and how she had dropped to the ground. "What had happened then?" he asked himself.
"Everything that was happening to us, or to them, happened to her," Jesse replied, upon hearing his question. He winced, realizing how much pain she had felt. "She felt Brennan's energy blasts, Shalimar's kicks, and probably even my-" he couldn't go on. He couldn't believe that he was a cause for hurting her.
Emma reached out to him. "It's not your fault, Jess. You didn't hurt me intentionally," she softly said. She could see, and feel, from the others their guilt. "Don't feel guilty, you guys," she admonished. "I'm working on how to control it."
"It must've hurt a lot," Shalimar mumbled, remembering the strength of her kicks. She winced even more when she remembered how that red-haired guy had kicked her on her side. It stung pretty badly. "No wonder you fainted."
"I can't even imagine how my energy blasts must've felt," Brennan muttered.
Jesse looked at Emma, as if he wanted to take away all the pain she felt. "And I phased when one of them tried to hit me."
"Don't worry, Jess," Emma teased, "I know now how it feels to hit a brick wall. Come on, you guys, I'm alive. I made it through, and next time that happens, I won't pass out. I'm getting the hang of this thing."
But Jesse could hear the strain in her voice. And he was determined as ever to help her control this advance on her powers.
Adam could see Emma not wanting the others to fret over her that much. She was often thought herself weak, because her powers were for mental use, not physical use. He knew she envied Shal's feral prowess. As for Jesse and Brennan, their powers were as good as any weapon. As for her, she was as good as defenseless before she was able to conjure up psionic blasts.
And this advance in her powers plus the worry of the team made Emma feel weaker.
"I'm sure you'll be fine, Emma," Adam said, thinking of changing the topic. "Now, it's my turn to tell a story."
Please review!!! :) Next chapter, coming up---Happy New Year, readers!
*** Now they are free from the Dream Girl, but as Emma and Jesse heal, Adam discovers there is something more to Sheila's powers, and Emma is slowly weakening. And there is someone who wants to destroy Mutant X ***
Complete Summary: The aftermath of being ensnared in a reverie. Emma and Jesse deal with the effects of Sheila's powers on them, and together, they are healed. But something is wrong with Emma. Sheila's powers have a different effect on her. Adam and the others must find out what is before it is too late. And there's something else - a man with a dark past intent on wreaking havoc inside Mutant X.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Mutant X.
Note ---- Here I am again, Mutant X mania. Part 2 of my previous Mutant X fic, "Ensnared in my Reverie" and you may or may not read it first. But if you've already read it, then read this one away!
+read, enjoy, review+
Chapter 7 - The Reality of Not Being There
"That was really sweet of you," Shalimar remarked to Brennan, as Jesse entered Emma's room. She smiled up at him, and leaning on her toes, she pressed a kiss on his lips.
"Wow," Brennan murmured, staring intently in her eyes. "In that case, I think I'll always be sweet from now on," he added, making Shalimar laugh. She stepped back away from him, shaking her head, but Brennan grabbed her by the waist, and bent his head towards hers.
He didn't let go of her, until he was satisfied [not that Shalimar complained]. When he did let go of her, Shalimar was gasped when she saw the intensity his eyes showed. She saw everything there, all the love he felt for her. She wanted so badly to hear those words from him, but she knew Brennan wasn't the type who would say those words.
"I don't want to lose you," he suddenly whispered to himself.
But Shalimar heard him. Reaching out, she touched his face with her fingertips, and smiling she said, "I won't leave you, Brennan. And I know you're too stubborn to let me."
"Damn right," Brennan muttered, before sealing his lips on hers.
"If we keep doing this," Shalimar said breathlessly. "We'll end up doing," she paused to catch her breath, "you-know-what."
Brennan wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "I think I want to know what this you-know-what is."
"I'll tell you later," Shalimar promised with a laugh. "Besides, we really have to get to Adam. He'll be wondering where we are."
"Not as much as I'm wondering what Jess and Emma are doing right now," Brennan said, casting a look at the closed bedroom door of Emma's. "She's probably recovered, now that Jesse's in there."
Shalimar merely shook her head at him, and chuckled. They stepped inside Adam's office, and saw him, sitting on his chair with a thoughtful faraway glance. "Hey, Adam," she said, approaching his desk.
"Hey guys," Adam replied, blinking. "How's Emma?" he asked, in a fatherly tone.
Shalimar answered, "She's asleep."
Brennan leaned against a cabinet, and crossed his arms. "Or maybe not."
Shalimar shot him a reproving glance that made Adam laugh. "That's okay, Shal. I'm glad to see that Jesse and Emma can heal together. It's, you might think, something that lightens my load."
"Jesse said you wanted to talk to us," Shalimar reminded. She herself was wondering what had happened when Adam was kidnapped. And what was going on. She still kept remembering about that weird building.
Adam cleared his throat. "Right." He looked at the door, and turning back to Shalimar and Brennan, he said, "I guess those two won't be coming after all."
"They're probably busy right now," Brennan muttered. Shalimar didn't appear to have heard him.
Adam nodded distractedly. He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts, unsure of where to begin. The history of McKenna went farther back than Genomex. He was one of the first few mutants, and was powerful. "This thing with Emma," he began to say, "How long has it been going?"
Shalimar turned to Brennan. "A few days, probably."
"Jesse mentioned maybe it's some sort of effect of Sheila's powers," Brennan explained.
Just then, Jesse and Emma walked in.
"Emma! Shouldn't you be resting?" Shalimar blurted out.
Emma gave them all a shy smile. "It's okay. I'm feeling fine, really." She felt a little embarrassed with all the attention they were giving her. It made her feel more vulnerable than she already is.
"Well, great," Adam began, smiling at all of them, "Now that we're all here, I can explain to you what I know." He turned to Emma. "I've asked these two how long have you been experiencing all these visions."
Emma looked at Jesse, then back at Adam. "It started, I think, with Jesse. I knew when he was having nightmares. It was like I was there, except I wasn't. I could see things through his eyes. And later on, I could feel things."
Jesse shrugged. "I think it was after we were both released from the dreamscape."
"And just yesterday, when we were looking for you, Emma kept having these weird moments when she would sort of space out on us," Shalimar continued. "She had one vision from me."
"What was it about?" Adam wanted to know.
"It was actually a dream," Shalimar replied sheepishly. "I kept dreaming that I'd wake up and I'm surrounded with fire, and I can't leave the room because I'm so scared to move, until the fire-" she inhaled sharply and closed her eyes.
Brennan reached for her, and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.
Shalimar opened her eyes, and shook her head, as if she was disappointed with herself. "I just can't control my fear of fire."
"That's understandable, Shal," Jesse said.
"So, these visions that Emma gets from people can be dreams, nightmares, or the real thing," Adam clarified, his chin resting on his clasped hands. "Your mind can pick things up from other minds."
"Something like that," Emma said nodding.
"Do you think it's mostly fear?" Brennan asked. He shrugged. "I mean, the thing she got from Jesse was about his fears, right? About him discovering that Mutant X was destroyed, and with Shalimar, it was about fire." he cast a sideways glance at Shalimar to gauge her reaction.
She gave him a weak smile. "I'm okay," she whispered.
Adam turned his attention to Brennan. "She hasn't gotten to you, yet?"
"It must be of her connection to us," Jesse spoke up. "It can be anything though, fear or something else." He remembered how Emma had picked up his conversation with Brennan earlier, about him having great sex. That surely wasn't about fear.
"Yeah," Shalimar agreed, nodding her head. "I mean, Emma's visions of Adam were of what was happening."
"And it's not just that," Jesse said, a thought occurring to him. He looked at Shalimar and Brennan. "Remember when we went to the abandoned building? You knew there was something eerie about that building," he said to Emma.
"Right," Brennan said. "That there was 'more to that building than meets the eye.'"
Emma shrugged. "I guess I felt it."
"And you knew about the invisible floors," Shalimar pointed out. Seeing the confused look on Adam's face, she hastily explained. "Plus, there was that room where---where, things looked different." She shivered when she remembered the fire.
"What do you mean different?" Adam asked.
Brennan and Jesse explained that room, also mentioning about Shalimar's near panic seeing a wall on fire, when the others didn't see it.
"And that was when you came to my rescue," Adam stated, with a smile. But then his eyes clouded over when he remembered how Emma froze on the spot, and how she had dropped to the ground. "What had happened then?" he asked himself.
"Everything that was happening to us, or to them, happened to her," Jesse replied, upon hearing his question. He winced, realizing how much pain she had felt. "She felt Brennan's energy blasts, Shalimar's kicks, and probably even my-" he couldn't go on. He couldn't believe that he was a cause for hurting her.
Emma reached out to him. "It's not your fault, Jess. You didn't hurt me intentionally," she softly said. She could see, and feel, from the others their guilt. "Don't feel guilty, you guys," she admonished. "I'm working on how to control it."
"It must've hurt a lot," Shalimar mumbled, remembering the strength of her kicks. She winced even more when she remembered how that red-haired guy had kicked her on her side. It stung pretty badly. "No wonder you fainted."
"I can't even imagine how my energy blasts must've felt," Brennan muttered.
Jesse looked at Emma, as if he wanted to take away all the pain she felt. "And I phased when one of them tried to hit me."
"Don't worry, Jess," Emma teased, "I know now how it feels to hit a brick wall. Come on, you guys, I'm alive. I made it through, and next time that happens, I won't pass out. I'm getting the hang of this thing."
But Jesse could hear the strain in her voice. And he was determined as ever to help her control this advance on her powers.
Adam could see Emma not wanting the others to fret over her that much. She was often thought herself weak, because her powers were for mental use, not physical use. He knew she envied Shal's feral prowess. As for Jesse and Brennan, their powers were as good as any weapon. As for her, she was as good as defenseless before she was able to conjure up psionic blasts.
And this advance in her powers plus the worry of the team made Emma feel weaker.
"I'm sure you'll be fine, Emma," Adam said, thinking of changing the topic. "Now, it's my turn to tell a story."
Please review!!! :) Next chapter, coming up---Happy New Year, readers!