DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from 'Mutant X'. They're not
my property. They belong to Tribune Entertainment.
***
*********
Jesse's gaze was overtaken by a sad darker color when he heard her response. Lifting his hand he gently stroke Shalimar's hair and said: "Shal, it's been a while..." he began but the Feral cut him off.
"No, I did see him, Jesse! He stood right there, behind them!"
"Adam."
"Yes! He... argh!" Shalimar wanted to raise herself from the couch but the sudden heavy pounding inside her head made it not possible. Touching her head, her thin fingers once again felt her scars but despite the protection which they had, she still felt the pain like a sharp sting. "Damn it!" she got annoyed and closed her eyes.
"Easy, Shal." Jesse took her by the shoulders and slowly lowered her down.
When she opened them, they were still watery as a sudden hope whether useless or not was building up. "He stood there, I did see him."
"Traumatic experiences do have a way of clashing with the vision of your mind."
"It was him, I..." she sighed, "I'm sure that it was him."
Hearing her speak like this, the Molecular felt sorry for his friend. He knew the pain of losing Adam would never disappear. "She still sees him... this is not a good sign," he shook his head and then told her. "Adam's gone, Shal. It's been a year... not an easy one but..." he allowed himself to take a small pause otherwise the stinging grief would very easily resurface once again and that was the last thing he would need; Jesse had it every single minute with him like an irritating companion for 4 months and it made him feel as if he had been swallowed in a cold and black hole. He did not wish to go back to that. "We'll never let it go but... "
"Jesse! I saw him!" She insisted as her teeth showed themselves almost angrily in front of him.
"I'm sure you did, these bastards have hurt you pretty bad and..."
But she kept interrupting him, trying to present her point clearly even though it had little if none at all effect. "I didn't imagine him. How could I imagine him, especially with that situation?"
"Yes, but it's impossible, Shalimar. We found him... we buried him, you were there. You saw it all." He spoke with a soft and soothing tone. "He's gone," he turned this last word into a whisper.
Shalimar stared at him with eyes which were slowly releasing two tears that began to gently slide down on her soft cheeks like small rivers, leaving wet marks of unexpressed melancholy. Those tears affected her breathing as she took in an exceedingly deep breath. Looking at his pale blue eyes and how the artificial yellow light had painted itself on the skin around those eyes, making them surprisingly darker than but still as intense as they should have been. She could easily pick up on his compassion, something which the Feral had always felt fortunate to experience. His eyes were always friendly and comforting; she stared long and profoundly into them. Those eyes spoke to her much more intensely than his words. Another deep inhale followed and she slowly nodded. "Yes, I did... perhaps you're right." She was beginning to give in.
"I am, believe me." He kissed her cheek.
"But it felt real... god!" her eyes closed. "Why did it feel so real?" The tears fell but the sobbing did not appear.
"Because he's still there in each of us. It's difficult to stop it from appearing in front of you."
She looked at him with a gaze that was drowning in the sad and unforgettable past. It made him swallow bitterly as the look affected him down to the bottom of his heart. "I know how you feel. I've felt it as well... it sucks because it hurts so much but it happens because we were so close."
Shalimar remained silent for now. She stared, although with a color so pale in her eyes, otherwise great intensity at her friend. She was forever grateful to Brennan who did not leave her through that torturous year, although Shalimar knew that he would have had lesser chances of fighting those demons of increasing grief on his own; it helped her. But hearing Jesse speak, although of a subject so painful to her heart, she was more aware with each word from his mouth just how incomplete she had been without him and without Emma. They were like family.
"This only proves it. I think we've had enough time apart from each other," he finally said and suddenly felt her tight embrace.
"I agree," her choked voice was heard as she buried her face in the soft piece of clothing which covered his shoulder. "I've missed you so much, Jesse!"
The Molecular closed his eyes and sat at the edge of the couch, taking Shalimar in his arms. "So did I," he whispered.
"You're gonna stay tonight, right?" the desire in her voice was obvious and almost desperate.
"Of course," he confirmed. And right then, the sound from outside had ceased as if it to give them the silence which they needed. Jesse and Shalimar had only their own breathing to listen to tonight; and they needed each other greatly tonight. They needed each other badly.
*********
The rectangular-shaped clock showed the time with the small red handle approaching the line which marked 45 minutes and the large red handle stood steadily between the numbers 11 and 12 when the phone rang. This startled Jesse who immediately opened his eyes. Feeling larger weight and warmth on his chest, he looked down and was met by the strange and even unpleasant smell of Shalimar's hair. He should have nagged on her to take a shower but he knew she needed rest. She had explained earlier what had happened to her and he only wrapped his arms around her when he remembered, feeling her warm body, gluing itself even more tightly to his. There was an invisible smile on her face, he could tell as she rested her left hand on his chest. The annoying ringing sound shattered the silent image of the Feral, forcing Jesse to remove his eyes from her and search for the phone which luckily was placed on the small table right next to the couch. At least he did not have to stand up and ruin the peaceful slumber of his friend. "Hello?" he whispered.
There was a thick temporarily silence before Brennan's voice was heard. "Jesse?"
"Yeah, it's me. Hey, Brennan." The Molecular was pleased to hear his friend but also a little annoyed at his absence. "Where the fuck were you?" he had wanted to ask but the situation was all but right for that.
"Ah man, you're good? Why are you whispering?"
"Because she's asleep." Jesse glanced at Shalimar and placed his hand on her back.
"Shal? She's there?"
"Yeah. She's had a rough day."
"What happened?" The long greetings could wait for later.
"She was attacked today," he whispered calmly.
"What? By whom?" The distress in his voice was raised.
"She doesn't know, some four but strange mutants. She's alright now."
"Ok, well stay there I'm coming now!"
"Where are you?"
"I'm near Washington at Emma's place."
"Emma? She's with you?"
"Yeah, but we'll come as soon as..."
"No, you can come tomorrow morning. I can stay here the night."
"Alright. Thanks, Jesse! We'll be there as soon as we can." Some small ruffling was heard and then a female voice. "Jesse, hi," it was Emma.
The Molecular smiled from the sound of his friend's voice. "Hey, Em. How are you?" he asked her.
"I'm happy to hear you but also worried as hell about Shal, is she ok?"
"Yeah, she's sleeping at the moment."
"Good... well I'm not going to keep you. I will see you tomorrow. I can't wait I've missed you."
"So have I, Emma," Jesse glanced at the painting of a young girl at the other end of the room. The shadows which were emerging from behind some of the close by objects were playing with the colorful canvas as if wanting to smudge the paint.
"Good night."
"Good night." He closed the phone and kissed Shalimar's head. The unpleasant smell which continued to emerge from her hair was almost unregistered by his brain as the warmth which he was receiving from Shalimar, drowned the unpleasantness. He would see the others tomorrow and it would be complete but right now he enjoyed the selfishness, the wish for him to be the only one here with the Feral. Jesse missed her incredibly and he hoped that this silent night, meant only for the two of them would compensate for some of the most painful months he had to endure... if only she had been awake. He did not want to disturb her dreaming however and drain more of her strength. Her exhaustion even brought more intense images of Adam, which was only an unnecessary torture to her psyche. Jesse had thought of removing her clothes and changing them with cleaner ones but he lacked the courage for that; perhaps he would be braver when the situation would reach a higher level of seriousness.
Tomorrow he will be reunited with Emma and Brennan and they would probably spend the rest of the time discussing the possible attackers of Shalimar. It will be grueling.
It was incredibly quiet outside, his ears suddenly picked up on it; perhaps even strange for this time but Jesse didn't mind. He wouldn't be able to stand the annoying sound of cars at the moment; this silence suited the gentle mood more.
"Pleasant dreams," he whispered to her and leaned his head back on the soft pillow. His eyelids slowly covered his blues, with the help of the coming tiredness, sending this young person to join his friend in the dreams.
*********
***
*********
Jesse's gaze was overtaken by a sad darker color when he heard her response. Lifting his hand he gently stroke Shalimar's hair and said: "Shal, it's been a while..." he began but the Feral cut him off.
"No, I did see him, Jesse! He stood right there, behind them!"
"Adam."
"Yes! He... argh!" Shalimar wanted to raise herself from the couch but the sudden heavy pounding inside her head made it not possible. Touching her head, her thin fingers once again felt her scars but despite the protection which they had, she still felt the pain like a sharp sting. "Damn it!" she got annoyed and closed her eyes.
"Easy, Shal." Jesse took her by the shoulders and slowly lowered her down.
When she opened them, they were still watery as a sudden hope whether useless or not was building up. "He stood there, I did see him."
"Traumatic experiences do have a way of clashing with the vision of your mind."
"It was him, I..." she sighed, "I'm sure that it was him."
Hearing her speak like this, the Molecular felt sorry for his friend. He knew the pain of losing Adam would never disappear. "She still sees him... this is not a good sign," he shook his head and then told her. "Adam's gone, Shal. It's been a year... not an easy one but..." he allowed himself to take a small pause otherwise the stinging grief would very easily resurface once again and that was the last thing he would need; Jesse had it every single minute with him like an irritating companion for 4 months and it made him feel as if he had been swallowed in a cold and black hole. He did not wish to go back to that. "We'll never let it go but... "
"Jesse! I saw him!" She insisted as her teeth showed themselves almost angrily in front of him.
"I'm sure you did, these bastards have hurt you pretty bad and..."
But she kept interrupting him, trying to present her point clearly even though it had little if none at all effect. "I didn't imagine him. How could I imagine him, especially with that situation?"
"Yes, but it's impossible, Shalimar. We found him... we buried him, you were there. You saw it all." He spoke with a soft and soothing tone. "He's gone," he turned this last word into a whisper.
Shalimar stared at him with eyes which were slowly releasing two tears that began to gently slide down on her soft cheeks like small rivers, leaving wet marks of unexpressed melancholy. Those tears affected her breathing as she took in an exceedingly deep breath. Looking at his pale blue eyes and how the artificial yellow light had painted itself on the skin around those eyes, making them surprisingly darker than but still as intense as they should have been. She could easily pick up on his compassion, something which the Feral had always felt fortunate to experience. His eyes were always friendly and comforting; she stared long and profoundly into them. Those eyes spoke to her much more intensely than his words. Another deep inhale followed and she slowly nodded. "Yes, I did... perhaps you're right." She was beginning to give in.
"I am, believe me." He kissed her cheek.
"But it felt real... god!" her eyes closed. "Why did it feel so real?" The tears fell but the sobbing did not appear.
"Because he's still there in each of us. It's difficult to stop it from appearing in front of you."
She looked at him with a gaze that was drowning in the sad and unforgettable past. It made him swallow bitterly as the look affected him down to the bottom of his heart. "I know how you feel. I've felt it as well... it sucks because it hurts so much but it happens because we were so close."
Shalimar remained silent for now. She stared, although with a color so pale in her eyes, otherwise great intensity at her friend. She was forever grateful to Brennan who did not leave her through that torturous year, although Shalimar knew that he would have had lesser chances of fighting those demons of increasing grief on his own; it helped her. But hearing Jesse speak, although of a subject so painful to her heart, she was more aware with each word from his mouth just how incomplete she had been without him and without Emma. They were like family.
"This only proves it. I think we've had enough time apart from each other," he finally said and suddenly felt her tight embrace.
"I agree," her choked voice was heard as she buried her face in the soft piece of clothing which covered his shoulder. "I've missed you so much, Jesse!"
The Molecular closed his eyes and sat at the edge of the couch, taking Shalimar in his arms. "So did I," he whispered.
"You're gonna stay tonight, right?" the desire in her voice was obvious and almost desperate.
"Of course," he confirmed. And right then, the sound from outside had ceased as if it to give them the silence which they needed. Jesse and Shalimar had only their own breathing to listen to tonight; and they needed each other greatly tonight. They needed each other badly.
*********
The rectangular-shaped clock showed the time with the small red handle approaching the line which marked 45 minutes and the large red handle stood steadily between the numbers 11 and 12 when the phone rang. This startled Jesse who immediately opened his eyes. Feeling larger weight and warmth on his chest, he looked down and was met by the strange and even unpleasant smell of Shalimar's hair. He should have nagged on her to take a shower but he knew she needed rest. She had explained earlier what had happened to her and he only wrapped his arms around her when he remembered, feeling her warm body, gluing itself even more tightly to his. There was an invisible smile on her face, he could tell as she rested her left hand on his chest. The annoying ringing sound shattered the silent image of the Feral, forcing Jesse to remove his eyes from her and search for the phone which luckily was placed on the small table right next to the couch. At least he did not have to stand up and ruin the peaceful slumber of his friend. "Hello?" he whispered.
There was a thick temporarily silence before Brennan's voice was heard. "Jesse?"
"Yeah, it's me. Hey, Brennan." The Molecular was pleased to hear his friend but also a little annoyed at his absence. "Where the fuck were you?" he had wanted to ask but the situation was all but right for that.
"Ah man, you're good? Why are you whispering?"
"Because she's asleep." Jesse glanced at Shalimar and placed his hand on her back.
"Shal? She's there?"
"Yeah. She's had a rough day."
"What happened?" The long greetings could wait for later.
"She was attacked today," he whispered calmly.
"What? By whom?" The distress in his voice was raised.
"She doesn't know, some four but strange mutants. She's alright now."
"Ok, well stay there I'm coming now!"
"Where are you?"
"I'm near Washington at Emma's place."
"Emma? She's with you?"
"Yeah, but we'll come as soon as..."
"No, you can come tomorrow morning. I can stay here the night."
"Alright. Thanks, Jesse! We'll be there as soon as we can." Some small ruffling was heard and then a female voice. "Jesse, hi," it was Emma.
The Molecular smiled from the sound of his friend's voice. "Hey, Em. How are you?" he asked her.
"I'm happy to hear you but also worried as hell about Shal, is she ok?"
"Yeah, she's sleeping at the moment."
"Good... well I'm not going to keep you. I will see you tomorrow. I can't wait I've missed you."
"So have I, Emma," Jesse glanced at the painting of a young girl at the other end of the room. The shadows which were emerging from behind some of the close by objects were playing with the colorful canvas as if wanting to smudge the paint.
"Good night."
"Good night." He closed the phone and kissed Shalimar's head. The unpleasant smell which continued to emerge from her hair was almost unregistered by his brain as the warmth which he was receiving from Shalimar, drowned the unpleasantness. He would see the others tomorrow and it would be complete but right now he enjoyed the selfishness, the wish for him to be the only one here with the Feral. Jesse missed her incredibly and he hoped that this silent night, meant only for the two of them would compensate for some of the most painful months he had to endure... if only she had been awake. He did not want to disturb her dreaming however and drain more of her strength. Her exhaustion even brought more intense images of Adam, which was only an unnecessary torture to her psyche. Jesse had thought of removing her clothes and changing them with cleaner ones but he lacked the courage for that; perhaps he would be braver when the situation would reach a higher level of seriousness.
Tomorrow he will be reunited with Emma and Brennan and they would probably spend the rest of the time discussing the possible attackers of Shalimar. It will be grueling.
It was incredibly quiet outside, his ears suddenly picked up on it; perhaps even strange for this time but Jesse didn't mind. He wouldn't be able to stand the annoying sound of cars at the moment; this silence suited the gentle mood more.
"Pleasant dreams," he whispered to her and leaned his head back on the soft pillow. His eyelids slowly covered his blues, with the help of the coming tiredness, sending this young person to join his friend in the dreams.
*********