Disclaimer—see Chapter One
A/N: I'm trying a little bit of an experiment with this story and am attempting to focus more on plot development, not just character development, so the next few chapters will focus on the plot a bit more than usual, but I promise to still have lots of Bren/Shal moments in the mix! My overall goal is to have a mix of humor and drama, along with the romance, so please let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions. Also, just a side note, I wrote these chapters before the ep "Brother's Keeper" aired, so this does not follow the timeline revealed in that episode. In this world, Lexa's brother is still missing, and she has not seen him for over two years. Please take a moment to review! Thank you again so much!!!!
While All Was Still—Chapter Eight
The sun beat down in unmerciful rays for hour upon hour, baking all within its path. Palm trees drooped in heat and swayed in faint breezes, the rustling fronds whispering a song to listening ears. Brennan sighed and pinched his nose in tired frustration, his aching head taking soothing relief in the sound and shadow of the palm.
"Hey, Bren!"
He cringed at the voice. Not again. His eyes opened to reveal a beautiful face hovering inches from his own, teeth flashing bright in the sun. It was an alluring sight, until the face spoke again.
"Isn't it adorable?" She giggled, holding out the umpteenth souvenir of the day.
"Yeah, adorable," Brennan stretched his lips into a half smile. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along.
"Look—there's another store, let's go!"
Brennan forced tired feet to follow, the voice bouncing between his weary ears, muttering under his breath, "Kill me now."
Shalimar halted to a stop as she came out of the shower. Brennan lay sprawled across her tiny bed, limbs hanging over the edges in a very uncomfortable position, but he didn't seem to care. He moaned piteously as he heard her footsteps.
"Brennan," she knelt down by him, "Are you ok?"
"I can't move, Shal," he lamented, "If my life depended upon it, I couldn't move right now."
"What happened?" She leaned over him in concern.
"Shopping."
She couldn't help it, a chuckle escaped. He pried one eye open at her. "I'm sorry," she apologized, the smile still in her voice, running her hand up his arm and squeezing his shoulder in sympathy. She felt his shudder and pulled back, surprised.
"Brennan?" She peered closer at him in the dim light and gasped. 'Brennan, you're burnt."
"Shopping in the sun." He amended his earlier statement.
She bit her lip in sympathy, padding over to the bathroom and digging in a drawer before coming back over to him. "Here, Bren," she gently climbed up next to him on the bed, prompting him to roll over on his back and straddled his waist.
"Shal, he grunted, "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm not in the mood right now."
"No," she laughed outright, "I've got burn salve." She couldn't stop chuckling as she gently lifted the tank off his hurting body and spread the salve into her palms, lightly running them over his chest and arms in soothing circles. After a while, she had him roll over again, applying the same treatment to his back and shoulders and neck. Watching him wince and squint at her, she knew he was suffering a headache as well. Capping the salve, she crawled to the head of the bed and gently lifted his head into her lap and ran her thumbs over his closed eyelids, then pushed hard along his temples, over and over until she felt him relax.
Sunlight wakened him. Blinking, disoriented, it dawned on him slowly that his head was cushioned on Shalimar's lap. He tilted his head back to see she had fallen asleep sitting up against the headboard, her hands limply tangled in his hair. She looked exhausted, and he knew she must have stayed up late taking care of him. His heart constricted with guilt.
"Brennan?"
"Shh," he whispered, sorry he had wakened her.
"Are you alright?"
"I don't know what we're doing here," he admitted, speaking quietly and reaching for her hand. He felt her fingers close around his own. "I keep thinking of what we've been through already, and here we are putting ourselves through another hard situation. I feel like all I do is hurt you, Shal."
"Oh Brennan," she turned his face up towards hers with her hand. He grabbed her palm and kissed it, feeling the sting of frustration in his eyes.
"Do you want to leave Mutant X?" she asked suddenly. "Leave Jesse and Lexa—"
"No!" he whispered fiercely, looking aghast.
"We could move to a small town," she offered, "Live to a rip old age and die of boredom." His brows wrinkled in confusion, but her laughter, low in her throat, told him she only teased.
He grinned in relief, "Are you trying to tell me you're ok with all this?"
None of this is your doing, Bren," she whispered, "You take too much on yourself. I was the one who insisted we do this one." She stroked his chin, running her finger along his jaw line, then his lips, touching lightly. She eased up on the headboard to look down at him and smiled, kissing his mouth. He lay quietly, accepting her gentle touch and ministration. "Sometimes the missions are difficult, but we have an important job to do, and together we will go through whatever is ahead."
He carefully turned in her arms, moaning as his sunburned skin stretched tight in protest, but raised his arms anyway, pulling her to his chest and hugging her close, feeling the warmth and response of her body against his.
"What would I do without you, Shal?"
She smiled against his neck. "You know you'd be lost without me." His grip tightened around her, even as he chuckled along with her.
The brightening sun through the window reluctantly drew their attention to the fact that day had begun without them. Brennan slowly pushed himself to a sitting position as Shalimar padded over to the window. She peered out the portal to see the outline of an island shadowed against the misty light.
"So what've you guys got planned for today?" she asked, turning back and watching as he grimaced at the reflection of his burnt shoulders in the mirror.
He made a face. "She wants to look at wedding dresses, can you believe it? First she flirts, then she drops hints, then she plans the entire wedding without even asking." He shook his head. "I tell you, Shal, she's hiding something. No one can be like this for real." He scratched his head as she watched him sort through it all in his mind. "I just can't figure out what her motivation would be."
"Well," Shalimar crossed her arms. "We've only got three more days to figure this out. We better hope David makes his move before then, because you are most definitely not marrying that woman, I don't care if she is in danger."
He smiled at her adamancy. "What's your plan today?"
"David has the day off today, so he said he wanted to explore the island." She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I was actually thinking that today may be the day he tries something since he's not tied to the pool like he has been all week."
Brennan stopped short on his way to the shower and turned back to look at her. "I don't like the idea of you being alone with him then."
She frowned at him, "Don't even start that again."
He raised his hands, "Sorry, I just worry about you. They're killing mutants."
"Then you better keep an eye on Laura today, she's the one in danger here, not me."
He nodded in concession before stepping into the shower, voice floating out behind him. "You coming?"
Back at Sanctuary, Jesse's hand slapped down on the terminal. "Lexa, I found it!" He jumped up and grabbed a paper from the printer, running through the halls, halting to a stop as he saw her staring at a picture in her hands. He slowly approached so as not to startle her, and peered over her shoulder to see a picture of her with her arms around a dark-haired man. He cleared his throat, and she jumped, holding the picture against her chest.
"Who is he?" he spoke quietly, sitting next to her.
She studied his face for long moments, sighing as he didn't back down. Her fingers tightened on the frame. "He's my brother."
"Where is he?"
She dropped her eyes. "He's missing." She blinked her eyes and squared her shoulders, tossing back her hair. "What did you find?"
Jesse watched her a moment more before deciding to let it go for now. He held out the paper in front of her. "David and Laura are married."
She raised her eyebrows, making no comment.
"Why don't you seem too surprised?"
She dropped her eyes away from his intense gaze. "They're actually divorced. After they broke up," she paused taking a breath, "she dated my brother."
Jesse stared at her, shocked. "And this just now came up why?"
She shrugged defensively. "It was a need to know basis." She turned to him earnestly. "Jesse, she was the last to see my brother alive, she has to survive this, I have to talk to her."
He blew out his breath. "Lexa, there's one more thing." He held out another picture, watching her expression. "She has a child."
Shalimar giggled as Brennan kissed her neck, his arms wrapped around her from behind, teasingly holding her back from the front door.
"Come on Shal," he entreated, nibbling on her ear, "Stay here with me just a little while longer," he swung her around in his arms, kissed the top of her head, then lay a trail of kisses down her throat like drops of melting ice. She closed her eyes, even as her body shivered from his touch. "Brennan," she laughingly reprimanded after a moment, turning back around and reaching her arms to the door as he plastered himself to her back, reluctantly stepping with her to the door.
"Fine," he pouted, "But tonight," his eyebrows waggled dramatically as she opened the door, "You are mine."
The laugher died in her throat as she came face to face with dark eyes glowering inches in front of her. Awkwardly, she cleared her throat, "David."
