Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or X-Men, titles or characters. Evie is my character.

A/N: Bjvision- everything will be revealed in time. I'm glad you really liked it. Thanks. Louise- thanks. I'm trying to update about every other day or so. Goldstranger - I don't mind the questions at all. I'd welcome more and try to answer as best as I can. Did I cry? No. But I have to admit that the story dominates my thoughts most of the day. It probably will until I have it done. I feel I've done a decent job if my writing can evoke the emotions in you. Thanks. Loveconquers - thanks. I'm glad to see you coming back for more. Laily - Of course I'll fix Jesse and just wait for Gambit. He's one of my main characters. He's my second favorite X Man after Logan. Thanks.

Chapter 6 - Losing Control

At a small town built to accommodate the employees of a large medical research & development facility a meeting was being held. "Mason, I'm glad to see you on your feet." A lovely blonde haired, blue eyed woman in a very expensive business suit smiled.

"What happened? How did I get here?" If there was one thing Mason Eckhart hated more than Adam Kane it was not being in control and right now he felt completely out of his element.

"What do you remember?" She asked.

"I was at---my facility. We ran into a little---uh---difficulty. Then I woke up to your goons standing over me with guns." Eckhart was obviously irritated.

"Really, Mason, you can drop the enigmatic posturing. After our first discussion and our agreement, I've known your every move." Her demeanor was stern. "I knew where your 'facility' was and what you were doing with my money. I knew about the explosion as soon as it happened. That's why you're still alive right now. If my men hadn't gotten to you and treated you when they did, well you know." She smiled and got up from her chair and moved to sit on the sofa. Immediately an attendant handed her a freshly poured drink. "Now, come sit with me and have a drink. You look like you need one."

Trying desperately to maintain his position and think on his feet, Mason had no choice but to comply. "Very well. I must go back soon though and trace Adam if WE are going to continue with OUR plans."

She laughed as Mason's face only reflected confusion to her reaction. "Adam is no longer a problem. As a matter of fact, as of tomorrow HE will be my most valuable asset."

"Indeed? How is that?" Mason asked doing his best to remain nonchalant.

"Adam was found, very close to where we found you. One of your 'creations' was there, too, but he was dead. My people dealt with the body and then brought you and Adam to me. While you have been---recovering, Adam has been undergoing some very special procedures. When he awakes tomorrow you will be reintroduced."

Curious but smart enough to know he was no longer calling the shots, Mason just smiled and clinked her uplifted glass, hoping that by biding his time he might be able to regain his control.

Back at Sanctuary the search was progressing painstakingly slowly. Everyone was on edge as they awaited any information from Jesse and Gambit who were glued to their computers looking for any straw to grasp. Charles had Jubilee working on the satellite images using the mansion's computer systems, trying to come up with the destination of the mysterious helicopter. With nothing left for them to do but wait, Marie took the opportunity to give Kitty some workout time in the dojo before turning in for the night.

"Evie, my dear," Charles spoke softly as he approached her. She had been sitting by the waterfall for over an hour. "It's getting late. Why don't you try to get some sleep? I still would like to monitor you in the event that you dream of Adam again."

Smiling weakly, she stood and took his extended hand and let him lead her into Adam's lab. As she was trying to get comfortable on the med-bed, she turned to him. "Charles, I can't tell you how much your being here means to me. I could never thank you for all you are doing for us."

"No thanks is needed, my dear Evie. Seeing you back in Adam's arms will be thanks enough for me. I will stay with you until that happens." He charmingly smiled and pulled the blanket over her. "Now I need you to relax and sleep. When you begin to dream, I will enter the dream with you and try to determine what exactly is going on."

"Goodnight, Charles."

"Goodnight, my dear."

Elsewhere in Sanctuary, Logan and Ororo were in the rec room discussing the day. "I'm worried about Brennan." Ororo said as she laid her head on Logan's lap. "He's very stressed."

"Ro, darlin', I don't know where you've been but everyone in this house is stressed." Logan chuckled as he began playing with her hair.

"I'm being serious. At the funeral he was having a hard time controlling his powers. Electricity was slipping out. It was so bad that the air around him became charged. You must have sensed it."

"Now that you mention it, I did notice the air change but I was too preoccupied with someone else to realize it."

"Someone else---?"

"Shalimar, she was growling like a caged cougar. She's trying to hold back a berserker rage. I'm afraid if she doesn't let it out willingly, it'll take her over."

"What are we going to do? We have to help them. Do you think you can talk to her?"

"I think she's had enough talk. She needs to turn her mind off and let her instincts take over for a while. I have to find a way to get her outside."

"You know how strong she is, but please remember that she's also hurt. Be gentle with her." She sat up and turned to face him.

"What about him?"

"He needs to release the build up before he short circuits. I will take him for a walk as well."

"Then let's go find them." He stood and took her into his arms. "Be careful."

"You, too." She leaned up and kissed him as he held her tightly against him.

Brennan and Shalimar were in Emma's room. Shalimar wanted to sit there for a while. They were silent most of time but occasionally shared a memory when they saw something that sparked one. Shalimar had gone to Emma's dresser and opened her jewelry box. On the top was a silver locket. Picking it up slowly she remembered and smiled.

"What is it?" Brennan asked.

"It's the locket Adam gave her. Do you remember when she tried to contact her mom?"

"Yeah. It didn't go so well. She felt really rejected."

"Adam had this made for her." She held it out as he took it from her hand and opened it. Inside was a picture of the five of them taken shortly after Emma joined the team. "He wanted her to know that we were her family." She sniffed as she moved closer to him. "I remember seeing Adam wiping his eyes as he left her room after having given it to her."

"It's beautiful." Brennan handed it to her and closed her in his embrace.

"What's beautiful?"

Brennan and Shalimar were startled as they turned to see Logan and Ororo in the doorway.

"Hey, I didn't mean to scare you." Logan offered as they entered.

"It's ok. We were just---well, you know." Shalimar moved back toward the dresser.

"You still didn't answer me. What was so beautiful?" Logan moved closer to her.

"This was a gift from Adam. Emma really loved it."

Seeing his opportunity, Logan grabbed the locket from her hand and moved away before she could react.

"Logan, give it back, please." Her voice was pained and weak.

He could see she was trying to be polite, so he pushed harder. "Yeah, it is pretty. You want it? You'll have to come and get it." He slipped the locket securely in his pocket and stood with his arms across his chest, waiting.

Brennan began to move toward him when he felt Ororo's hand on his arm. She just smiled at him as she strengthened her grip.

"Logan, I want that back." Shalimar was beginning to loose it. Her eyes began to glow as she released a low threatening growl.

"That's it. That's what I want to see. Now, if you want the locket, you'll have to catch me first." Logan was off like a shot.

Brennan turned to Ororo after he watched Shalimar bolt after Logan. "What's going on, Ororo?"

"Logan has been sensing her penned up rage. He wanted to give her a chance to get out some frustration. That's all." She smiled sweetly as she slipped her arm through his and began to lead him out of the room.

"He just unleashed the wildcat. That's dangerous."

"Don't worry. Wolverine can handle it. He'll bring her back in one piece."

"But will he be in one piece?" Brennan's question was half-serious.

She just chuckled. "Come, let's, you and I take a walk outside, too."

Once free of Sanctuary's constrictions, Logan ran through the woods careful to stay away from Emma's grave. He led Shalimar on a wild hunt. When he lost her, he made his position known and when she got too close, he dodged and evaded her. He found that she wasn't as skilled in a rage as she was under control. The rage made her sloppy, missing clues and opportunities. He knew that she wasn't used to dealing with this level of fury and was glad it wasn't a combat situation. She would have been dead or captured easily.

Brennan and Ororo went out, arm in arm, into the night. The sky was clear and the moon was shining brightly. "It's a beautiful night." Ororo took in a deep breath of the night air.

After walking for a few minutes, Brennan sighed, "Shouldn't we be looking for Logan and Shal. He might need help calming her down."

"No, he'll be fine. Don't worry about them." Ororo could once again sense the change in the air. "You have been doing a wonderful job of taking care of your family." Ororo decided it was time.

"Thank you. I wish there were something more I could have done for Emma. I should be able to do more for everyone." His frustration began to seep into his voice.

"You can't completely control fate. You are also being too hard on yourself. You're doing more than enough for everyone and they realize it. You aren't doing enough for you."

"What do you mean? I'm fine." Brennan released her and stepped away.

"Brennan, you're trying to hold it in but I can feel it. Just like Shalimar needs to let out the rage you need to let go."

"No, I DON'T." Electricity flashed across his eyes and in his hands as he quickly recaptured his control. "I'm sorry. I'm fine." Brennan turned away.

Coming up behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders she spoke again. "Brennan, I can feel the build up. You're generating an enormous amount of electricity. If you don't release this, it will consume you." She watched as he began to breathe heavier under the stress of control. "I can help you."

"NO. It's too dangerous," he gritted through his teeth.

"Trust me. I can handle it." She moved up behind him and wrapped her arms securely around his chest as she began to lift them both from the ground. "I won't let you fall. You generate the electricity and I'll neutralize it."

"No, Ororo, I CAN'T!" Brennan yelled over the winds she was creating.

She smiled as she began to draw on the electricity that was already slipping his control.

Logan felt the change in the atmosphere as soon as it began. He smiled as he realized that Storm must be taking Brennan for a ride. "Good idea, Baby. That should do the trick."

He suddenly realized that in the time his was thinking about Ro, he had lost track of Shalimar. In the split second it took to relocate her, she was dropping out of the trees on top of him. He found himself knocked to the ground with a fierce wildcat circling him. He met her eyes without fear. "That's it, darlin'. I'm tired of the chase, too. Let's work out that rage." Quickly, he jumped into a defensive position and watched as she reacted to his sharp movements and attacked. He dodged and wove as she tirelessly continued the assault. He let her land some of her kicks and punches, knowing that if she did get him good, his healing factor would take care of him. Fully aware of the fact that she had no such benefit, he remained on the defensive and only provoked her when she seemed to be slowing down.

The skies above remained clear but lightning began to flash. "ORORO, STOP! I CAN'T HOLD IT IN!" Brennan squeezed his eyes shut as he wrapped his arms around himself trying to hold out against his control bursting like a dam.

"LET IT GO!"

"NOOO!"

"Yes, my friend," she whispered as she pulled a little harder.

"AAAHHH!!!!" The dam finally burst as Brennan threw his arms out and his head back. Tesla coils and sparks flew in all directions coming from both hands and feet. His eyes sparkled as they flashed back at the stars above. Coils of electricity danced around him wrapping around both their bodies. Ororo neutralized the air so that the electricity would harmlessly disperse as soon as it was released into it. The only harm she couldn't prevent was to their clothes as the electricity left burn marks wherever it touched. Brennan's body continued to expel the stored energy until he was weak to the point of exhaustion, almost too weak to breathe. Feeling his body go limp in her arms, she gently lighted them back to the ground and laid him down with his head resting on her lap. Knowing that Logan would find them she rested herself against a tree and let Brennan sleep.

~~ Ororo, are you all right? I sensed a disturbance. ~~

~~ Yes, Charles. I was helping Brennan. He needed to release his excess energy and is now resting. ~~

~~ Is Logan also 'helping' Shalimar? I am sensing great hostility. ~~

~~ Yes, he felt she needed some time outside to let out her aggression. How is Evie? ~~

~~ She is just beginning to sleep deeply enough to dream. I am monitoring her closely. Please stop in the lab when you return. ~~

~~ Very well. ~~

Logan had been letting Shalimar attack for about a half an hour. Even with her feral strength and abilities he knew that she was tiring. The rage was subsiding. There was only a little anger left. He completely relaxed his defenses as she came at him. Jumping into the air, she kicked with both feet sending him sprawling back and landing him flat on the ground. Before the daze left him she was straddling his body with one hand supporting her against his chest and the other raised in a fist ready to strike. Just as she began to lower her punch toward his face he reached up and grabbed both her wrists with enough strength to freeze her in position. "I think that should have done the trick. Don't you feel better, now?"

Blinking her eyes and shaking the last of the fog from her head, she allowed her eyes to return to their normal coloring as she began to recognize what was about to do. "Logan, wh---what happened?"

Feeling her muscles relax, he released her arms. She quickly moved to his side and allowed him to sit up. "You had to get out some penned up frustration."

"But---I was---wild." Her voice cracked as she realized the extent of her actions.

"That never happened before, did it?" He saw her eyes begin to tear as fear set in and she slowly shook her head.

Putting her head in her hands she began to cry. Logan knew exactly how she felt. He remembered the first time it happened to him. When it was finally over he thought he was some kind of animal to rage so blindly. His self- loathing was all consuming. He also knew that in her case it was extreme circumstance that brought it on as opposed to his frequent bad temper. Gathering her into his arms he comforted her as best he could. "That was a berserker rage. I could sense it building in you at the funeral. I know what they're like and knew that you needed to release it before it released itself on everyone around you."

Through her tears he heard her whispers. "But I was wild. It was like it--- took over and there was nothing I could do to stop it."

"That's exactly what it did."

"I tried to---," she pulled away and looked up at him, "to kill you."

"I know. That's why I had to lure you away from everyone else. If anyone tried to stop you, ---well, let's just say they would've regretted it."

Suddenly her eyes widened as she remembered that that someone could have easily been Brennan knowing he had seen her take off after Logan. "Brennan, ---he didn't come after me, did he?"

"No. Ro was helping him deal with some issues of his own." He saw the concern in her questioning eyes. "Come on, we have to find them. They won't be able to get inside on their own." He stood and offered his hand. As he helped her to her feet, he put a supportive arm around her as they began to walk. "I'll explain on the way. Oh,---" He reached into his pocket. "Here's Emma's locket."

She shakily took the locket, then turned up and smiled at him. "Thank you," she whispered as she tiptoed to kiss his cheek.

"Anytime, darlin'. Now let's go find our mates."

TBC Well, there's another emotion beside grief. We're still not laughing yet but we will be. Hang in there for me.