Disclaimer: Tell me any avid fan of Mutant X that doesn't know I don't own them. LOL. I don't know how powerful these characters are and I don't even know if they are really like this. All of the actions mentioned below is just my imagination.

Authors Note: Hey! This is my very first time to attempt my luck in writing fiction. Please forgive my grammar (since English is not my native tongue). I waited long enough to see my Emma fight a hand to hand combat but my patience was put to vain so I decided to make her as star in my own FanFic. Please review. Comments on whatever is very much welcome. I don't know how to end this one so if you have any idea, I'll be honored to have your ideas in my fic. So here we go ... enjoy ...

Special Thanks to:

X-Gang's-Brat-X: I tried to finish this chapter as soon as I could after reading your post. Thanks so much.
angeleyes, TML, and Emma453: Your reviews are very much appreciated.
Megara: It's such an honor to have one of my favorite author read my first fiction. I love your works and your posting of review inspired me a lot. Thanks very much. I'm still not sure if I'll pair Emma to Brennan though I've thought about it. I think I'll make the pairing a surprise.
Crystal Raven: Thanks very much for reviewing. I don't know to whom I should pair Emma. Maybe I would mess up with the pairing a little just to create conflict. I think it will spies the story a little bit. I think I'll pair them with someone else before I introduce to proper pairing. Thanks for reading.

Continue reviewing, it makes writing worthwhile. So this is the second chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it. Mwuaahh!!!
Underestimated

~Thought ~

Memory

/Sounds/

"Conversation"
Chapter 2

Emma sat on the dojo early morning, as usual. She has been used in getting up that early since she won't be able to use the dojo when Shalimar is awake. Emma knew that the rest of the group would be rehearsing in the dojo almost all day... except for the days when they are assigned to teach self-defense to new mutants in the underground. Sometimes she would ask herself why Adam didn't give her assignments underground. Sometimes she would answer the questions herself. Emma has come to believe that Adam would have a better plan for her. Now, after years in the MX group, she has doubted her own beliefs. All she could do now is to make the most of her vacant time ... like today. She was practicing on the new mind technique Adam had taught her when she sensed someone coming towards her.
"Good morning Jesse!" she said with her eyes still closed.

Jesse looked around and unconsciously scratched his head. ~How did she knew that? ~ he asked himself.

"I am used with your mind Jess, and I can sense if it's you or not." Emma answered Jesse's unsaid question. And it made Jesse blush.

"You can sense me that easy?" Jesse asked her.

Emma opened her eyes and giggled. "If you're worried about your deep secrets Jess, I could tell you not to. You have guarded it well Jess and psionics will have a hard time reading you at that." She smiled.

Jesse had to smile. He always had the impression that his mind was so vulnerable to psionic. He didn't knew he was strong enough. Emma has her own style to make him smile and that is what he really loves about her.
"Would you like to join me?" Emma asked him, tapping the space beside her. Jesse walked up the dojo and sat beside her.

"So how's the blond?" she grinned. "...last night?"

"Well, she's okay... as a person but as a dancer? She's the worst. She stepped on my foot like a hundred times." He grinned back.

"Is that why you were with her on the dance floor for like an hour?" Emma tried to mess up with Jesse, which she successfully did. Jesse blushed some more and Emma enjoyed seeing his colors. Jesse looked good in his morning attire. She wondered why he never takes his clothes off in the sanctuary like Brennan always does.
"I didn't want to leave you alone Ems 'cause..."

"I know you didn't want to. I only made you..."

"You made me what?" Jesse's words dried down inside his tongue.

"I'm sorry Jess, but I really liked to be left alone that moment. I'm really sorry. Would you forgive me?" she put a puppy-dog face as she begged him.

How could he not forgive her? ... with her cute begging facial expression... an expression which could only come from Emma. He had to smile though usually he would be irritated when Emma tried tapping in his mind. He remembered the last time she tried to read him. He was so mad that he could pound her, had he not knew she is his friend. Yes. He could not be angry with her. He was not really mad anyway. In fact, he enjoyed last night...~if only Emma enjoyed it as much as I did?" ~ he sighed. "It's alright Ems. It's not really that bad anyway." Jesse assured her.

"So, you did enjoyed?" she taunted.

"Well...yeah!" he shyly looked at the floor and it made Emma laughed. Jesse enjoyed Emma's sweet laughter. "How about you? What did you do while sitting at the bar?" Jesse smiled at her, hoping that she enjoyed her night though she stayed in the bar.

"And who told you I stayed there all night?" Emma turned her head to face Jesse with a grin. She knew Jesse was expecting her to sit all night at the bar like she always do...well, ... almost always ... considering she's not really of a party freak...like Shalimar and Brennan.

"You did not stay at the bar?" Jesse looked back at her...scratching his nape still unconsciously. He remembered looking for Emma that night. He in fact had a hard time searching for her. Unlike the usual events where he would find her sitting at the bar side, waiting for the night to be over, he didn't found her in the place where he left her. If she did stayed at the bar, he should have seen her right away. ~so she didn't stayed by the bar. ~

"Of course not!" Emma continued giggling, which is now coming to a loud laughter. She was clutching her stomach as it ache because of the hard laughter.

"Then what did you do then?"

"Dance!" Emma said in between her laughter. She was still chortling hard when she sensed something from Jesse.

~I thought she didn't want to dance? ~ Jesse asked himself. ~I knew it. She did want to dance ... just not with me. ~ Jesse tried to smile to keep Emma from reading him but his thought betrayed him. Emma rarely dances with them. The last she danced with an MX member was with Brennan. He only have danced with her, once. Jesse sighed ... aloud and heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry Jesse," Emma reached for Jesse's hands. "I really don't have any plan of dancing 'till this man came and ... and ..."
~He was like a piece of the puzzle of my life that I've been trying to find all these years. ~ Emma thought as she stammered.
"...and He convinced me." Emma let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry Jess,"

Emma looked at Jesse and she sensed something from him. Was it jealousy? She's not sure but she has to know. The concern Jesse has for her was palpable but the emotion that she is picking from him is extremely far from just friendly concern. She have sensed this emotion before from someone she was trying to forget-Tyler. No. She has to be sure if she was reading him right.

"Do you want to tell me something Jesse?" she asked him, still not taking away her eyes from him; still trying to make sense out of the emotions she was receiving from him.

Jesse looked at Emma. How she was precious to him, he couldn't tell. All he is capable of understanding is that he cares for her because he is his friend. The mix up in his mind sent another set of sensation to Emma, confusing the first emotion she received from him.

"Nothing. Why? You se ... sen .... sensed something?" Jesse stuttered as he answered back Emma's question.

"Uhmm ... Nah! I thought I sensed something ..." Emma paused and then she smiled. "But as I said, you are good in blocking me out of your mind." She squeezed his hands softly before she released it.

Jesse had to smile again. He enjoyed this. Being around Emma makes him feel good. The last time he felt this was with ... with ... ~Amanda ~ he tried to smile. Like Emma, he has just recovered from the death of a lover-Amanda. He was so in-love with her that he thought he would die when he lost her. He was so crushed but he felt luckier than her as he was permitted with his affair with Amanda and Emma was refrained from being involved with Tyler. He knew how hard it is to be making yourself believe that you and the person that you have come to love could never be together. Like Emma, his lover was his everything. He even thought he would never be happy after Amanda's death but he is now ... with Emma.
"Hey!" Shalimar walked to the dojo ... and to them. She just finished her usual jogging session before her morning dose of mayhem. She turned off her walkman and sweetly smiled at her friends. "What's up with you two?"

"Just having a small talk..." Emma smiled at her. "Are you going to use the dojo now?" She asked Shalimar back.

"No, not yet. You can do your 'yoga thing' in the dojo while I'll rest for a while." She tapped Emma's shoulder lightly.

Shalimar left the psionic and the molecular in the dojo as she turn her walkman on and started singing with the tune.
Hearing her voice, Emma and Jesse started giggling, leaving their small talk hanging in the air.
***
Shalimar walked around the lab but she did not went in. She whipped around and peeked to see Jesse and Emma laughing. She could laugh herself. Her voice wasn't really made for singing. She could say her voice was made for growling and hollering ... sometimes she uses it for prowling. Shalimar brought her index finger and middle finger to her lips to keep herself from making any sounds. She looked at Jesse and noticed the light sparkle in his eyes. Her feral sense caught everything.
~He is definitely in-love with her ~ she thought. She remembered the looks in Jesse's face everytime Emma walks in the room. Her feral sense could absorb Jesse's tension everytime Emma comes close to him; the alive color of his cheeks everytime Emma smiles into his eyes.
~Does Emma know about this? ..." Shalimar asked her mind as she threw an eye to Emma. ~She definitely sensed it but she is unsure. ~ Shalimar decided to herself. She didn't have to be a psionic to read her friends. Sometimes, the actions are enough to tell the part of the story.

"Hey!"

Shalimar heard a voice from her back and then she felt a hand land on her shoulder.

"Hey Bren," she didn't have to turn around to know that it was Brennan. Jesse never laid a rough hand on her ... on anybody ... well, anybody but the GSA and ~the strands ~ her wits spoke to her. She shook her head lightly to take the thought out of her head. The least that she wanted to think is the Strand.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you in ... the ... d-o-j-o?" Brennan hardly finished his sentence. His eyes fixed at the picture of Emma and Jesse basking together at the dojo. He could see her smiling at him ... in his eyes. He wanted to yank her out of there ... out of Jesse's presence. He blinked ...

~Whoa! What is happening to me? ~ Brennan blinked again. He glanced at Shalimar at from the corner of his eyes. ~Thank God she's not looking. ~ he sighed.

"I'm grabbing some breakfast before I go and tone at the dojo. Wanna come?" Shalimar called his attention.

"Sure!" he nodded. "Aren't we calling Jesse and Emma?" he asked her, trying to hide the trace of jealousy in his voice. ~JEALOUSY! NO! I can't be jealous. I'm not even in-love with her. ~ his breathing was hard. ~Oh yeah? Then why are you turning green with envy? Why are your knuckle white because of your tight clutch? And why are you holding your breath? ~ a treacherous voice from inside his mind nudge him again.

"Are you alright Bren?" Shalimar patted his shoulder.

"Huh? Wha ... what? Oh! yeah! I'm alright." He tried to smile.

"You sure?"

"Yeah... So, aren't we calling Jesse and Emma?" he asked her again.

The feral looked at the psionic and at the molecular again then she shook her head. "Nah. Maybe we should leave them for awhile."

"Okay!" he agreed. Shalimar started to leave and he turned to follow her but his feet refuse to follow him.

"Bren." Shalimar called him again when she turned and found him still standing.

"Yeah!" he tried again and this time he was successful. He followed Shalimar to the kitchen, unwillingly leaving Jesse and Emma in the dojo.
***
Emma sat at the couch as she watched Shalimar beat Brennan for the third time. It was four o'clock in the afternoon. Jesse was in the underground #004, teaching defense class to some mutant. Emma got used in watching her teammates rehearse with each other since everytime she tried talking them into letting her train with them, they turned her down using the same line:
'this is physical exercise Emma, yours should just be mental.' Emma sighed. When could she be more physical like the others?

~You will soon if you would just do something about it. ~

Emma blinked. She turned around looking for the person to which the voice belongs. She looked at Shalimar and Brennan. They seemed not to hear the voice.

~of course they wouldn't hear me. I'm in your head Ems. ~

~O-H-M-Y-G-O-D ~ she didn't know if she would bring her hand to her mouth since the 'oh my god' didn't really left her mouth. ~Cole? ~

~You got it sweetie. ~

She heard him laugh in her head then she let out a loud laughter ... loud enough for Shalimar and Brennan to hear. The feral and the elemental stopped and looked at Emma.
"What's with her?" Brennan asked

"I'm not sure. Maybe she's in a trance." Shalimar took her towel and wiped her face, officially closing their session. She walked slowly down the dojo stair as Brennan follows her, trying their best not to make a sudden noise.
***
~You frightened me. ~ Emma sent Cole a swift mind message.

~I'm sorry. ~ Cole giggled and Emma got the sensation. She couldn't help but laugh herself.

~Its okay Cole ~ she responded.

~I've been trying to contact you couple of hours ago. I guess you were busy with a male friend huh. ~ Cole joked. He likes hearing Emma's laughter in his head. ~You didn't think I know huh. ~

~Well how did you know? ~ Emma asked him. The gladness in her face continued to grow.
***
Shalimar and Brennan looked at her more carefully as they approach her. Emma tilted her head for awhile as if waiting for an answer... then ... she burst into a loud laughter.

"Oh, I'm acting silly around my male friends? Wait until I got my hands on you." Emma said aloud accompanied by a loud laughter.
Shalimar and Brennan jerked back.

"Is she in drugs?" Brennan asked.

"She's delusional." Shalimar looked at Brennan then she sighed. "I think we should tell Adam about this."
***
~I think you said that aloud. ~ Cole told Emma.

~Why would you say that? ~ Emma asked him-a little worried. She waited for Cole's reply when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Ems, are you alright?" Shalimar asked her friend. Like Brennan, she had been concern with Emma ... very concern, since she is her best friend. She knew Emma have had emotional swing and has experience delusion since Tyler died. Shalimar thought this is just a phase Emma is going through, nevertheless, she had to take her to Adam to make sure she's all right.

"Shal?!" Emma's eyes widened.

~told ya! ~

Emma heard Cole in her mind and she bit her lips to contain her laughter. "Yeah! I'm fine." She addressed Shalimar.

"You sure? You don't look fine to us." Brennan raised his brow as his browns search for her emeralds.

"I'm fine, guys." Emma smiled at them.

~When did talking to yourself become fine? ~ Brennan thought.

"I heard that!" Emma smirked. "I'm not talking to myself Bren, I'm making a mental connection with a friend."

"Mental connection? With your senses? I mean ... you're a tele-empath right? You can't read minds. How could you possibly converse with someone?" Shalimar gave a questioning look.

"After having this power for like ... forever? Guys, how would you think could I mind-talk you sometimes?" Emma had to laugh. "I can easily interpret what other people's minds are showing me. It's like they're conversing with me using sign-language ... and besides, he's a telepath." Emma announced, raising her hand like signaling another person.

~He? ~ Brennan's heart beat faster. ~He? ~ his mind repeated.

~There goes you're friend's jealousy again Ems. ~ Cole taunted.

Emma closed her eyes and then she smile. ~He's not jealous Cole, I told you. What you're sensing is just his protectiveness. ~

~if you say so... ~ Cole giggled in her mind.

"He?" Shalimar echoed her phrase. Her worried aura slowly shifted to a smile. "Is he cute? He has to be, considering the smile on your face." She joshed her.

"Shal," Brennan eyed Shalimar.

"What?" she laughed.

"Aren't we supposed to asked whom she is mind-talking with, before you continue to tease her?" Brennan put on a sarcastic smile on his face.

"Come on Bren, Em is having fun, aren't you Ems?" Shalimar smiled again.

Emma answered with a nod.

"That is not the issue." Brennan defended.

"Then what is?" Shalimar demanded.

"We don't know the guy. For all we know he could hurt Emma that easily." Brennan started to raise his voice. He knew he was not suppose to, but the fact that Emma is befriending someone that he has no control of, is making him panic. He could not take the risk anymore. He lost count of the events where men befriended Emma to be able to kill her. This thought made him wanna puke.

"And how could he hurt me?" the smile on Emma's face slowly faded away. Brennan could not be talking about her frailty again. She's sick and tired of hearing him say it almost everyday. ~please don't say it. ~ she begged in her mind.

"Because you're too vulnerable. You're still weak and you can't possibly protect yourself right now Ems, don't you get it? All you have is your ... your little psi-bolt and ... and ... that 'projecting thing' ..." Brennan gave an overacting motion. "You can't even do a hand to hand combat." Brennan was almost yelling at the top of his voice.

"That's it!" Emma stood up. "I'm sick and tired of you telling me how useless I am."
"I'm not saying that."

"You didn't have to Bren, I know how to read between the lines. I don't have to be a psionic to hear you clearer."

"Ems, he's only concern about you." Shalimar tried to pacify Emma's mounting anger. "All he's saying is that..."

"I would always need you to protect me 'cause I'm useless; that all I can contribute to the team is trouble."

"No, Emma. You are..."

"Important?" Emma finished Shalimar's sentence. "Are you actually telling me you needed me?" she gave a cynical smile. "Well I've heard that a lot ... but I never felt it ... not even once." Emma left the feral and the elemental in the rec room.

"Where are you going Ems?" Brennan worriedly asked.

"Somewhere where I could be of use." Emma sarcastically replied.

"You can't..."

"Don't worry. I'm not screwing anything for you." She cut in Brennan's sentence and then she was gone.
MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-
***Lyza***
I don't know if Emma is really pissed everytime she is overly protected but I'll be if I was her. So... how am I doing so far? Please review. I'm almost finished with the third chapter. I'll try to post the next chapter next week. Thanks!