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 are just my imagination.

Authors Note: hello everyone! It has been long. LOL. I got so busy with my lesson planning. You know, being a teacher is not easy.

Special Thanks to:

Emma453: Yeah! There will be a lot of that too…. Soon. LOL. Thanks for sticking around. You guys makes the whole hard work worthwhile.

Pagan: Hey there! I have missed your review post. It's good to have you back. Don't worry dear, Emma will be back at her self-defense class. That is one of my plans, though I haven't figure out how to do that. Anyways, please keep on reading and posting your reviews.

Brigitta: yeah! Another conflict ey! I'm starting to get the idea that you like confrontations and arguments. LOL. But unfortunately, I'm not good at it. Though I still hoped you've enjoyed reading this…

Bri: I would really try my best to update sooner. (Hehehe) I haven't really figured out who's pairing you liked. Please tell me in your future review.

Goldstranger: hey there. I've missed your emails. I'm sorry I haven't mailed you yet. I got really busy. As a Jesse and Emma shipper, I don't think you would like this chapter so much but please still post your reviews. LOL. I promise to email you soon…

Aur: Brennan checking out Shalimar? Yeah that was a suggestion a reader told me… I thought it was high time he starts checking Shal out (though it still doesn't change the fact that he still have feelings for Emma…in this story…*don't sue me please*)

To everyone: this chapter will start to change your views. LOL. For all E/J shipper and B/S shippers, please don't get mad at me. You know me, such a sucker for complications… hehehe… please bear with me a little longer until I figure out how to give Emma a reason to leave the Sanctuary…

(By the way I still resent the way the producers of MX pulled our pretty Lauren Lee from the casting… Emma has great potentials if only they gave her equal screen time like they gave Shal and Brenn *hey don't get me wrong, I love Bren and Shal but I hate the way their characters are being played like a dirty sex symbols* again, this is just a comment. Please don't sue me)

Okay! This chapter is about love, hate, power, confusion, friendship, rivalry and a little bit of sex… LOL. I guess I'll be rating this one with an R. Here it is now. Enjoy and see you later… Mwuaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Underestimated

            ~Thought ~

            Memory

            /Sounds/

            "Conversation"

Chapter 14

            Jesse and Emma finally decided that this would be the day they would make a formal and official announcement about them. Jesse went to see Shalimar and Emma went to see Brennan.

Emma walked around the Sanctuary in her usual tight plunging blouse and black short skirt. She found Brennan in the transport stable tuning the wheels. She walked in the stables and greeted him.

            "Hey Bren!" she called out.

            "Hey Ems." Brennan stood up from his position, took a towel and faced Emma.

            "Tuning up?" she asked.

            "Uh huh!" Brennan nodded. "Shalimar's bike went crazy last time we chased a new mutant who caused chaos in the city. I thought maybe we should check the vehicles before we go out in a chase again." He explained.

            Emma nodded and smiled at him. Brennan is indeed a very treasure of the Mutant X, always taking a step ahead of what Adam is asking him.

            "So, what brought you here?" he asked as he glared at her alluring attire.

            "Well, Jesse and I decided to announce something about…"

            "The two of you?" Brennan grinned as he finished Emma's sentence. He took his eyes away from Emma. Emma smiled and nodded as Brennan walked towards her. "It's not much of a secret anymore, is it." He said.

            "I know," Emma smiled as her eyes fell on the floor.  "…But we still wanted to make it official." She said.

            Brennan looked at her again for a while and he reached out to touch her face, which startled Emma a bit. Heart pounding, brain twirling, blood streaming, and hand all sweaty; Emma's senses are tingling. The elemental giggled and returned his serious eyes on her. "How long have you been dating?" he asked as his eyes transmitted the pain that he is feeling.

            Sensing the building tension from Brennan, Emma chose to change the topic. "Bren, please…"

            Brennan held her on the shoulder, shook his head and beamed. "Ems, wait." He sighed as he gathered his strength. "I'm happy for you."

            Emma looked at his browns with compassion. "Thanks…" she said.

            "Though I have to admit I really envied Jesse." He grinned but the intension was there.

            Emma placed a hand on Brennan's shoulder and gazed into his eyes. If only Brennan looked at her liked this before… if only Brennan said the words in his head sooner than this… if only Brennan allowed Emma to sense his feelings for her… Emma should have been his by now but things are different now and things have been done.

            "You'll find the right one for you," she told him.

            "I know." Brennan answered. ~I really hoped it would be you. ~ Brennan added in his thought. "So, you're announcing it now…" Brennan turned the topic around so suddenly.

            "Yup!" Emma nodded.

            Brennan pulled his shirt near his nostril and sniffed, "Could I take a short shower?"

            Emma laughed and agreed, "Okay! You're really starting to smell you know?"

            "Gee, thanks!" Brennan replied with a bit of sarcasm. He eyed him and then he laughed as Emma started to laugh with him!

*****

            Shalimar walked back and fort in the small confinement of her room. It has been a couple of months since she last made physical contact with a man. She have been fighting her feral desire since Adam advised her to control her feral side but her fight is almost coming to an end and she knew that she's losing it. She knew she have to stay away from every male in the Sanctuary or her feral nature would take over her and she would lose control.

            Shalimar swallowed hard when she heard a knock on her door accompanied by a familiar voice.

            "Shal? Can I talk to you for a sec?" Jesse called as he knocked on Shalimar's door.

            "Huh? Wha… what… why? I mean… sure … wait I'm…" Shalimar stammered as she went ballistic trying to find a way to envelope the sexual desire her feral nature is making her feel.

            "Shalimar? Are you all right? Can I come in?" Jesse heard several thumping and banging sounds in the room before Shalimar finally open it. Jesse went in and Shalimar keep her distance. Jesse looked at the feral, sensing that something is not right. He made face and asked her as he walked towards her. "Is something wrong Shal?"

            "Stay away!" Shalimar suddenly yelled as she backed off. She avoided Jesse's gray-blue eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry Jesse. This is not a very good time so if you have something important to tell me, say it now AND PLEASE KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!" she told him.

******

            Cole effortlessly located Shalimar and Jesse through their mind. He heard every conversation and even their thoughts. He could see Shalimar fighting inside her and he could see Jesse's concern.

            "Perfect!" Gabriel said. He took a seat and sat on it as he started his plan.

            "What do we do now?" Cole asked him.

            "Simple." He posed an evil grin. "We play with their minds."

            Cole couldn't see the relevance of Gabriel's plan with the plan of having Emma. He thought that if Gabriel could play with the minds of Emma's friends, then why not do it without his help?

            "Because your psionic (Emma) protects them all the time." Gabriel answered his mind question immediately. "Now we grab the opportunity." He said.

            Cole shook his head. If his analysis were correct, Gabriel would break up Emma and Jesse by letting Emma see Jesse 'doing' something with Shalimar.  ~But I thought he wants Shalimar? Why would he allow Jesse to touch her? ~

            "At this point, I would do anything to get rid of Emma and to have Shalimar." Gabriel answered.

*****

            Jesse recoiled at Shalimar's angry voice. He couldn't understand why his friend was acting that way but he was determined to understand. He moved a little closer to Shalimar and reached out but Shalimar jumped off quickly.

            "Jesse! I said keep your distance." She hollered.

            "Why?" Jesse eyed Shalimar, willing her to tell him.

            "Why? Because if you don't I might lose control and take you!" Shalimar almost screamed in anger…not at Jesse but anger towards herself and her mutation.

            Jesse could not make sense of what he is hearing from Shalimar. "Shal, don't do this. Talk to me…tell me what's wrong."

            As Jesse finished his sentence Shalimar's eyes turned yellowish green and she let out a small growl. Jesse backed away in fright. He was about to leave Shalimar when the feral jumped on him and both of them landed on the feral's bed.

            "I'm sorry Jesse but I can't make it stop. Please leave!" she told him but her body pinned Jesse on the bed and the molecular couldn't move.

            Jesse's heart pounded loud enough for both of them to hear. His mind almost left him when Shalimar started tearing his clothes apart. For a moment, he thought Shalimar needed to feed and he was the unlucky meal but he felt something not right. His eyes flew open when Shalimar started kissing him.

            Jesse pushed her away. "Shalimar!" he yelled. He was angry and confused. ~How could Shalimar do this? ~ His mind asked. He forced the feral to look at him and he was more confused when he saw tears in the feral's eyes.

            "Leave. Jesse, please!" she begged.

            "How could I leave if you're pinning me down?" Jesse's voice showed a mix anger and concerned emotion.

            "I don't know!" Shalimar almost spat the words out. "Do something! Anything! Just make this stop." She started kissing him again. Her heart tells her that it was wrong but something or SOMEONE is controlling her and she hated it.

            Shalimar was surprised when Jesse's arms pulled her closer to him. Jesse lost all thoughts when he found himself kissing Shalimar back. He honestly didn't know what he was doing. He felt as if something is controlling him.

            "What are you doing?!" Shalimar angrily question Jesse. "I told you to leave."

            "I know but I can't." he said and his hands started to undress Shalimar. "Something's wrong Shal. This is not us!" Jesse knew something is really, really wrong. "We have to call Adam." Jesse suggested.

            Shalimar eyed him as her hands pulled Jesse's pants down. "Are you insane! And what would he say if he saw us fucking each other?"

            It frightened Jesse but something frightened him more. "Oh my God! Emma! She's coming here to see you." Jesse said in panic.

            ~Come on you two, lose control! ~ Both Jesse and Shalimar heard a wry voice and everything went blank on them.

***** 

            Emma sat on the living room couch as she waited for Jesse and the rest. She looked at her watch; she has been waiting there for half an hour. She turned around when she heard noise coming from the hallway.

            "So, where are they?" Brennan walked in the rec room.

            Emma scratched her nape. "I don't know." She said. "Maybe we should go find them." She suggested.

            "Sure." Brennan offered her a hand and she took it.

            The elemental and the psionic started searching in the Sanctuary; looking at the dojo, the kitchen… everywhere but there was no sign of the molecular and the feral. They passed by Adam's lab and found him so much focused in his work that they didn't bothered to interrupt him.

            They both decided to retreat to the living room hoping that the two mutants are already there. They took the hallway, which passes through their rooms before reaching the living room.

            Brennan and Emma were laughing at the something when Emma's eyes caught Shalimar's door ajar.

            "And then Jesse said…" Brennan stopped when he saw Emma standing silently. He noticed the slow disappearance of smile on her face. "Emma?" he called out but Emma didn't move an inch. He realized that Emma was staring at something. Following her gaze, Brennan's eyes landed on a very not becoming sight.

            Emma wanted to leave the place but she couldn't move. She wanted to scream but words wouldn't come out. She just stood there and watched as Jesse and Shalimar kissed in Shalimar's room. She hoped that it would end there; that Jesse would stop there but it didn't happen.

            Brennan wanted to take Emma away from that place. He knew that the sight is tearing her apart but like Emma, he couldn't move. All they could do is stand there and watch Jesse and Shalimar.

            Emma felt the world stopped when Jesse positioned himself on top of Shalimar. ~NO! ~ Her mind screamed. Tears started falling on her cheeks but there was no sound. She found it hard to believe that Jesse could hurt her like that. She found it hard to believe that he would cheat on her. Her heart tells her that something is not right but her mind tells her otherwise.

            Alas, Emma's world begun to crumble when she heard Shalimar's cry for pleasure when Jesse went deep in the feral. Emma felt her heart skipped a beat when she saw Jesse moving in and out of Shalimar. She snapped back when Brennan blocked her view.

*****

            "Emma!" Brennan hollered when Emma fainted in his arms. Jesse and Shalimar snapped back to themselves when the heard Brennan scream but they were too stunned to move.

            ~Emma saw… ~ Jesse told himself and he cursed a couple of times.

            Shalimar stared at Brennan and Emma just outside her room, trying to absorb everything and trying to know what happened.

            "Emma!" Brennan repeated.

            Jesse grabbed his pants and shirt, immediately dressed up and run beside Emma. "Emma." He uttered.

            "Get away from her!" Brennan screamed and he threw a low voltage of electricity towards Jesse, sending him flying across Shalimar's room. "Stay away from her Jesse, or you'll leave me with no choice but to kill you." the elemental hollered.

            Jesse couldn't blame Brennan. He knew how Brennan loves Emma and seeing her cry is the last thing both of them would wish but he couldn't blame himself either. He didn't want this to happen. He didn't even have the idea how this thing happened.

            Shalimar and Jesse stared at Brennan as he gathered Emma's body.

            "Adam!" Brennan called out. "Emma fell unconscious."

            "What? Okay… relax. Bring her to me." Adam ordered.

            Brennan carried Emma's body in the lab, leaving Jesse and Shalimar staring at the empty space he just left.

MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-

***Lyza***

I know some of you are freaking mad at me right now but please bear with me a little longer. The next chapter would be for all Emma and Brennan shippers. Please continue posting your reviews… thanks. *Still ducking away from flying tomatoes in the air* heheheh!