Disclaimer—see Chapter One

A/N:  Please let me know what you think of this chapter!!  I have to admit, I'm a bit discouraged right now as I seem to have lost half my audience this time around. L  Thank you so much to those of you that did take the time to review—I so much appreciate it!!  Thank you!!

While All Was Still—Chapter Six

Shalimar paused to glance in the mirror as she applied a quick coat of lipstick.  She and Brennan were due in the dining room in a few minutes for the formal supper, one of two during the week-long cruise.  Patting down her hair, she turned away, satisfied. 

"Hey, Shal," Jesse's voice rang over her comlink.  "How's it going?"

"Hey Jess," she greeted him back.  "Not much happening yet.  We've both made contact with our targets, so now we're shadowing them, watching for any kind of hit."  She waved Brennan in when she noticed him hovering in the adjoining doorway.  "Any news on your end?" she asked into her ring.

"Nah, not really," Jesse's bored voice carried through.  Brennan couldn't resist another jab.

"Hey, Jess," he joined in the conversation, "I don't know about you, but I'm about to go have supper with a table full of beautiful women.  What've you got planned for the evening?" 

There was the clunking sound of falling tools as Jesse growled in the background.  Brennan gloated at Shalimar as she rolled her eyes back at him; Men. 

"Hey Bren," Jesse called back, plopping fallen tools back on the table, "I never knew you had such a cute little mole on your—"

"Ok," Shalimar jumped in, clamping a hand over Brennan's mouth to silence him, "I think we've taken that one as far as we want to go."

Jesse laughed and cut the connection. 

"Now come on," Shalimar tugged on Brennan's hand, "We're going to be late."  She paused to lean in and give him a lingering kiss before yanking open the door. 

They wound their way through the luxurious corridors.  Just as Brennan turned a corner in front of her, he suddenly jerked to a halt and dunked back behind the corner. 

"Shal," he whispered, "It's Laura, and she's meeting with David!"   He pulled her to him and together they peered around the corner.  An intense conversation was obviously going on.  Laura was gesturing wildly with both hands, a nervous look on her pretty face.  She froze as David laughed loudly and flinched as he tucked a stray curl back behind her ear and then strolled away.  Laura straightened her shoulders and followed after him a moment later.  Shalimar excitedly jabbed Brennan repeatedly in the gut, until he finally grabbed her arm and stilled it.  As soon as Laura disappeared from sight she whirled around at him.

"What in the world was that about?" 

"No clue," Brennan stared at her in confusion.  "I didn't think they knew each other.  Could you hear any part of their conversation?"

"Not really," Shalimar shook her head.  "You were breathing too hard."  Brennan smirked at her as he pulled her back down the hallway, continuing their way to the dining room. 

A few hours later found Brennan and Shalimar doing their best to ignore each other across the dining room table.  It was hard enough being at the same table pretending to only be brother and sister, but every time Laura placed a hand on Brennan, Shalimar would kick him from under the table.  Brennan didn't know how much longer his bruised shin could take it.  He picked miserably at his salad, trying to avoid Laura's touch to appease Shalimar, but not so much as to make Laura suspicious.   Laura smiled up at him appealingly and leaned towards him, offering a splendid view of her assets.

"Are you not hungry?" she asked Brennan with concern.  Thump, another perfectly aimed kick glanced off his shin.  He winced and then attempted to smile at Laura and answer her question.  Thump, another kick landed.  

He glared at Shalimar, but she just smiled sweetly at him before turning back to David to answer his inquiry.  He turned back to Laura.

"So, do you know anyone on this trip?" 

"Just you," she coquettishly flirted, placing a hand on his arm and kissing his cheek.  Brennan's leg drew back just in time to feel the air of Shalimar's heel fly by.  He flashed her a quick smile of triumph. 

A slim arm lifted her napkin from her lap and dropped it to the floor.  "Oh oops," Shalimar batted her lashes, "excuse me."  She dunked under the table to retrieve it.  A second later Brennan heard her voice whispering through his comlink. 

"Brennan, can you hear me?" 

Brennan stiffened in surprise, trying to distract Laura and David from the fact that Shalimar had decided to disappear under the table.  "Oh look," he pointed across the dining room.  "Check out that ice sculpture."

Shalimar's voice echoed in his ears.  "Bren—there is something strange going on here.  We know that Laura and David somehow know each other, we saw them in the hallway, but yet she just lied about it." 

She suddenly popped back up, waving her napkin in the air.  "Found it," she gave a titillating laugh as she settled back into her chair.  David shot her a funny look, but politely refrained from commenting.  

"So, ah, Laura," Shalimar picked up the conversation.  "You came here knowing no one?  How very ah, brave, of you." 

Laura lifted a delicate hand to brush a wisp of hair away.  "I just wanted to meet someone special," she traced a finger up Brennan's arm in a possessive gesture. 

"Oh oops," Shalimar's napkin fell to the floor again.  "Oh, I'm so clumsy," she disappeared under the table again.  'Brennan," she hissed into the rings again, "I don't trust this woman.  She's supposed to be the victim, but what if she's connected to David?"

Brennan smiled awkwardly around the table as Shalimar's absence was being noticed.  He lifted his own napkin and dropped it down.  "Oh, excuse me."  He ducked under the table as well. 

"Shal," he hissed at her, "This is ridiculous, come back to the table."

"But Bren," she whispered back.  "There's something wrong here." 

He shook his head at her.  "Shalimar, don't you think you're just overreacting?" He gestured to Laura's slim legs as he spoke, eyes lingering for a second as he couldn't help noticing how graceful they were.  Shalimar smacked him on the head, and they shared an exasperated look with each other, before Shalimar finally relented.  "Well, maybe, but I still think something's going on here."

Brennan gritted his teeth.  "Then let's get back up there and find out."

"Fine," she snapped back.

"Fine," he gestured for her to move. 

Suddenly, a fork clattered next to Brennan's foot.  They froze and watched with bated breath as a slender hand appeared from under the table cloth.  Brennan leaned as far away as he could as the hand seemed to search for a moment before arching delicately.  Instantly, the fork trembled and then flew into the awaiting hand as it withdrew.  He blew out his breath in relief as Shalimar stifled a giggle.

Two heads popped back up from under the table.  "Found it," they both held up their napkins to the astonished looks of their table companions. 

After making arrangements to meet the following morning at the pool for ship's games, Brennan bid Laura goodnight with a quick kiss.  As she strolled away, he blew his breath out with relief and watched as Shalimar wrapped things up with David a bit further down the hall.  He frowned as David's hand rose to cup Shalimar's cheek; he would be glad when the week was over.  He knew it would be easier on himself if he didn't watch, but some sadistic part wouldn't give him that satisfaction, so he stared with narrowed eyes as Shalimar graced David with a smile that lit up her entire face and seemed to take his breath away.  He leaned down and kissed her; Brennan's fingers tightened into a ball.  Shalimar broke the kiss after a mere second, but David reached out and captured her head with both hands, kissing her again.  Shalimar didn't move for a beat, staying stiff and still, before reluctantly softening and placing her hands on his shoulders.  Brennan's eyes darted both ways before furtively lifting a finger and sending a tiny little bolt to David's foot.  He smiled in satisfaction as the man suddenly jerked backwards, breaking the kiss.  Shalimar hastily smiled at him, and watched as he bid her goodnight and limped down the hallway. 

"Goodnight!" she called back down the hallway after him before crossing her arms and facing Brennan. 

"What?" he innocently inquired. 

"You shocked him." She took a step closer.

"You kicked me." He took a few steps closer.

"You kissed her." She moved closer yet.

"You kissed him."  He closed the distance between them, clasping her upper arms in his hands.

 "Ok, so we're even."

"Ah no," he countered.  "You made me crawl under a table.  We are so far from being even."

Her lips quirked, "Somehow I think we've had this conversation before."  She smiled.  "So what do you want to do about it this time?"

"Oh, I can think of a few things." He murmured, leaning down to kiss her. 

"Brennan," she reprimanded, pulling away, "We're in public."

"So," he shrugged, leaning down again.

She stopped him with hands on his chest.  "So what if someone sees us?"

"Right now, I don't care."  He pressed a kiss to her neck, knowing exactly the place to make her knees buckle. 

She moaned and melted into him for a moment, before suddenly stiffening and pulling.  "Ah, Brennan," she warned in his ear.

"Well, well," a voice behind them interrupted.  Brennan turned around and inwardly groaned.  It was the short, bald crewman from earlier, dressed in formal whites.

"Hello again," he nodded his head in acknowledgement. 

The man stared at them for a moment before grinning and tipping his hat.  "Goodnight to you both," he winked and walked away, his next words floating back on the tropical breeze.

"Most definitely not brother and sister."