A/N: Okay here it is chapter 21, enjoy.

Chapter 21

(Sanctuary)

Everyone simply just stared at Adam, and then at Brennan, and back again.

"Well I guess it's time I explain myself." Adam started.

"I guess you should." Jesse said not being able to contain himself any longer.

"No I'll deal with all of this tomorrow." Shal said before Adam had a chance to speak. "Look I'm really tired, and I need some rest."

"I understand, goodnight Shalimar, I'll explain everything when you're ready for me to." Adam walked off towards the lab, relieved he had the night to figure out what he was going to say, and do.

"Goodnight you guys." Emma said as she walked towards Bren, and Shal and gave them both hugs. "Jess you coming?"

"Yeah I'll be there in a little while, there's a loose end on the floor I have to deal with. You two go get some sleep cause you both look like hell." Jesse told them as he picked up Richard, and threw him over his shoulder.

"Thanks Jess." Brennan called after the younger man as he walked away.

"Anytime!"

"I guess we better get you to bed." Brennan said as he scooped Shalimar up in his arms, and carried off to her room. Shalimar put her arms around his neck, as a few more tears slid down her cheek.

Brennan opened Shalimar's door with one hand, and then pushed it open with his foot. He walked to the center of her room, and placed her down on her bed but she didn't let go of him. Instead she pulled him down on top of her and kissed him.

"God I missed you." Shalimar said in between kisses.

"I missed you too." Brennan managed to reply.

Finally they broke apart, and Brennan rolled off Shalimar, and onto the other side of her bed. Of course he brought her with him do that she was half leaning on him.

"Well you better get some rest." Brennan said getting up before he got to comfortable, and fell asleep himself.

"Wait, where do you think you're going?" Shalimar asked grabbing Brennan's hand.

"I have to go back to the cottage to get Fox."

"You can do that tomorrow, you're staying right here with me for the time being. I won't even let you leave this room." Shalimar more or less told Brennan as she pulled him back down onto the bed.

"Shal I have to go get him cause he gets lonely, and he's never been without me for this long. Although I would rather be here with you, I have to go get him."

"Don't worry he'll be fine."

"I promise I won't be long, I'll even take the Helix."

"Alright fine." Shalimar agreed knowing Brennan the stubborn look on Brennan's face. Brennan got up, and headed for the door.

"Wait up, I'm coming with you, I need to get out of here anyway. I'll leave the others a note."

"Are you sure, I won't be long and you said you were tired."

"I'm sure, let's go get your wittle puppy." Shalimar joked as she put on her shoes, and walked up to Brennan and putting her arm around his waist, then moving it to hold his hand.

"What's wrong I am not supposed to love 'our' puppy?"

"No, I just thought it was cute, and what do you mean 'our' puppy?"

"Well he was named after you, but if you don't want to be his mommy then so be it." Brennan joked back, glad to have Shal back in his arms and glad he was back home.

"I would love to be his mommy as long as you're his daddy."

"Well that I am." Brennan replied as he bent down and gave Shal a kiss as they boarded the Helix.

(Cottage - 25 minutes later)

Brennan opened the door to the cottage, and let Shal go in ahead of him. The minute he opened the door Fox ran out of the bedroom waging his tail happily.

Brennan bent over to pet him, but to his surprise Fox went to Shalimar first, and then to Brennan.

"I see how it is, I train you, and take care of you, and you go to her. Suck up." Brennan teased the dog.

"He's just got good taste like his daddy." Shal said giving Brennan a kiss on the cheek.

"What can I say I've trained him well. Anyway why don't you go lay down, and I'll be back after I walk Fox." Brennan told Shal as Fox sat at the door with his leash in his mouth.

"What can I not come with you?"

"I was just thinking of you, cause you said you were tired, so don't be me to a pulp."

"If you don't watch it I just might." Shal warned him as she walked out the door with Fox.

Brennan closed the door behind him, and ran after Shal as snow started to fall from the sky.

(Cottage - Next Morning)

For the first time in awhile Shalimar was happy when she woke up. Brennan was back where he belonged with her, Emma, and Jesse. She opened her eyes, and found herself using Brennan's shoulder as her pillow. She looked up at his sleeping face, and smiled to herself. For a minute she thought about getting up but quickly vanished the thought from her mind. She then looked down at the side of the bed, and found Fox curled up in a ball still sleeping. After a minute of looking at the dog on the floor she returned her head to the crook of Brennan's shoulder, and just laid there wrapped in his strong arms.

A few minutes later Brennan started to wake up. Since she was in a good mood Shalimar gave him a sweet good morning kiss.

"Morning sunshine." She smiled at him.

"Good morning yourself beautiful. What time is it?"

"Ah just after eight."

"I guess we better head back to Sanctuary then." Brennan said about to get up, until Shal stopped him.

"No, not yet I don't want to go back to all that drama right now."

"Okay, fine by me. I'd much rather be here with you anyway but we will have to deal with all this sometime."

"I know, I just can't wrap my brain around the whole situation, but like I said we'll deal with that later. I just want to lay here with you for awhile."

(Sanctuary - Same Time)

Emma, and Jesse had gotten up early and were working on cleaning up Brennan's room.

"I swear if Richard busted Brennan's guitar he's going to go mental." Emma said from the far side of Brennan's room looking for his guitar.

"Yeah I know, the two things you don't do to Brennan are mess with his family, and touch his guitar without saying it's okay."

"Jesse, Emma, are Brennan, and Shalimar back yet?" Adam asked through his comm ring.

"No not yet Adam." Emma responded as nicely as she could considering Adam had brought Brennan back last night.

"Well when they do can you let me know, then can all of you meet me in the rec room.

"Sure Adam." Jesse answered breaking the connection with Adam and getting back to cleaning.

(Sanctuary - Later)

Shalimar, and Brennan had been back for about ten minutes. They found Jesse and Emma in Brennan's room, and after putting Brennan, and Fox's stuff down they all went to the rec room, and just let Fox roam around Sanctuary.

"Adam we're all in the rec room." Emma spoke into her comm ring.

Within a minute Adam was in the rec room. He didn't bother to sit down, he just stood in front of his 'children', and team for a minute gathering his thoughts.

Shalimar sat so close to Brennan that if she moved any closer she would be sitting on him, and it didn't seem as though it bothered either of them. They were definitely sending a message to Adam. When Adam looked up he got the message load, and clear.

"I don't know where to start so, I'm sorry to all of you for what I've put you through, and especially to you." Adam said looking at Brennan finally breaking the silence.

"Adam I just want to know why. Man, I trusted you, I risked my life over, and over again to protecting, and fighting for what you believe in." Brennan spoke up raising his voice.

"I know, and again I'm sorry I just didn't have much choice in the matter."

"Adam cut the crap." Shalimar told him sternly.

"It was Richard. After you told him to leave the first time he went straight to Alaska to come up with a plan to get you back any way he could."

"So what he called you, and asked you for your assistance once his plan was done, and you just agreed." Brennan still couldn't grasp what was going on.

"No, of course not. Richard was going to tell Eckhart where Sanctuary was located. Brennan I had no choice, if Eckhart knew…" he was cut off by Jesse.

"Adam you could have told us all what was going on. There could have been a better way to deal with him."

"I tried to tell you all several times but Richard kept finding out. That's why I kept sending Richard on missions. I was trying to tell you two so that you could tell Shalimar. Brennan I tried to tell you as well but Richard has insisted that he have almost full control over your situation.

"So what Adam, you should have let him tell Eckhart where Sanctuary is we could have moved or something." Shalimar had tears in her eyes, but whether they were out of anger and frustration or sadness Adam couldn't tell.

"He had the database." Adam whispered.

"What?" Shalimar asked.

"He had the database. The one with all the information on all the new mutants that we've ever put into the underground."

"How could he get that, those files are encrypted?" Emma asked not being able to remain silent,

"They are, I don't know how he got in, all I no is that he did. There was nothing I could do."

Shalimar couldn't take it anymore. She got up, and stormed off towards her room. Adam was about to go after her when Emma told him not to, and she went instead telling pushing Brennan out of her way.

"You stay here, and find out everything, I'll talk to Shal." She told him from down the hall.

"Brennan I don't expect you to ever trust me again but I am going to ask you to stay at Sanctuary, this is your home, and I beg you to stay, that goes for you as well Jesse."

"Its okay Adam I understand, I'm not moving but if Shal decided to then I'll go with her."

"Ditto form me." Jesse told his father figure after Brennan finished.

"I guess it's up to Shal then, and Emma too."

"Adam don't get me wrong but it's going to take along time for me to ever trust you again, if I can ever completely trust you again."

"I know Brennan and I don't blame you for that I hurt all of you. Brennan for some reason you are the glue that keeps this team together, and without you here it was pure hell."

Brennan nodded and headed out of the rec room towards his own to think, and process everything that Adam has just told them.

After Brennan walked out Jesse stood up to go, and check on him.

"Jesse wait."

"No Adam I can't deal with this anymore right now." After that was said he walked out never looking back leaving Adam alone once again to his inner thoughts.

TBC

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review, I love the feedback, and to find out what you all think of the story, or chapter. Next chapter should be up within the next couple of days.