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

Chapter 7 - Truths Revealed

Brennan began to stir. "What happened?" He put his hands over his face before opening his eyes.

"You put on quite a display." Ororo smiled as he looked up at her. "Do you remember it?"

"I think so. I remember flying Munroe Airways." He smirked as he sat up slowly and turned to her. "I remember feeling my control slipping then completely crashing. My body felt like it was on fire."

Just then, Logan and Shalimar came into view. Shalimar saw the condition Brennan was in and ran to him. She dropped to her knees and sobbed into his shoulder as he embraced her. Logan sat next to Ororo who leaned back appreciatively against him. Seeing Brennan's concern he explained, "Her first berserker rage. It's got her shaken up but she'll be ok. You had your own berserker going. That was some show. I'm glad the only casualties were your clothes." Logan ran his hand into the burn holes in the back of Ororo's shirt. "I'm also glad you weren't standing back to back," he teased as he leaned in and kissed her.

"I guess I'd been trying to control it for so long that I hadn't realized how bad it'd gotten." Brennan leaned in and kissed the top of Shalimar's head. Having her in his arms was giving him as much comfort as he was giving her.

"We need to get the two of you inside." Logan stood and helped Ro to her feet. She stumbled against him and smiled as he gave her the look that told her he knew it took more out of her than she was letting on. Turning to see Shalimar on her feet helping Brennan he asked, "Do you want to switch?"

"No, I can help him. Let's go." Shalimar's physical strength returned, quickly, but emotionally she needed to be under Brennan's arm.

Logan scooped Ororo into his arms and they all made their way to the lab.

A little while earlier, Charles sat beside Evie as the monitors signaled the beginning of her dream. He entered her dream but stayed just out of sensing range to not interfere with what would happen.

~~ Evie walked in the fog again. She tried to focus to see thru it. First appeared Jesse; lying in his bed, asleep. She could see Kitty sitting next to him, running her hand through his hair. Evie could sense that Jesse was finally sleeping soundly. From Kitty she felt fear---sadness, but most of all she felt---love. "Kitty---" she tried to whisper to her but as soon as she did, they disappeared. ~~

Charles reached out to Jesse's room in curiosity.

~~ Fear suddenly struck Evie as she saw Shalimar crouched in a position looking like she was about to attack. She saw the feral eyes but more than that, felt a detachment she couldn't understand. It was Shalimar in front of her, but something told her that it was a wild person she had never seen before. Wanting to comfort her friend, Evie made the mistake of trying to approach. Too late, she realized her mistake as Shalimar attacked. She braced herself for it but just before she would have been pounced on, Shalimar disappeared. Evie stood still for a moment to calm down.

She was not able to calm completely before electricity began sparking all around her. Looking around she saw Brennan in pain and fighting to hold his powers in. She somehow knew it was a losing battle and just shut her eyes and silently prayed for him.

In a few moments the flashing stopped. When Evie opened her eyes she was once again alone in the fog. Feeling helpless and vulnerable she wandered for a few moments longer.

"Evie? Evie, where are you?" It was low and distant but she heard it.

"Adam?"

"Evie, I need you."

"Adam, I'm here." She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to focus. When she opened them again, Adam was standing in front of her, smiling. ~~

Charles focused his concentration and was able to finally understand what was going on.

~~ "Evie, I need you. Come to me." Adam began to move backwards.

"No, Adam, don't leave."

"Come to me, I need you," he repeated.

"Adam, please tell me where you are." Evie began to cry as Adam faded into the distance. Not shocked out of sleep this time she just remained in her fog, crying. "Help me. Please, you have to help me."~~

Charles felt a pull on his mind. It was weak but consciously he could feel it.

~~ Evie stood as she realized someone was walking toward her. Charles stopped in front of her. She hesitantly reached out a hand to touch him. Shocked when he didn't disappear she laid her hand on his arm. "Yes, Evie. I'm really here." He smiled at her. Throwing her arms around him, she drew comfort from her friend. Suddenly realizing, she pulled back and looked at his legs, then back up to his eyes. "I can only do this in our minds," he explained as she smiled and hugged him once more.

Pulling away and holding both his hands she asked, "Charles, why are you here?"

"You brought me here. I was monitoring your dreams when I felt you reach out to me. I simply followed." Seeing the confusion in her face, he smiled and squeezed her hands. "Come, it's time to wake up. The others have returned." They turned and walked hand in hand into the fog. ~~

Logan walked silently into the lab and placed Ororo on a medbed next to Evie's. Shalimar also helped Brennan into the scan chair. They saw the professor lift his head and greet them. After a second, Evie began to stir and opened her eyes. Slightly disoriented, she called out, "Charles?"

"Yes, Evie, I'm here." He gently took her hand as she sat up.

Looking confused again she looked down at his chair then to his eyes. "We're not in your mind anymore," was his only explanation as he smiled at her.

Sadly she nodded. She looked around the room and saw Shalimar and Logan were covered in dirt and sweat. Ororo and Brennan's clothes were burnt. Shocked and jumping off the bed she rushed to Brennan's side. He seemed in the worst shape. "What happened?"

Shalimar was about to speak when she saw the professor hold up his hand. "Evie," when she turned he continued. "You know what happened," he stated with simple confidence.

"No, I was asleep." She walked back to him.

"Close your eyes and think. Remember your dream? You do not have their specific details but you do know what happened to them." After a moment he saw her understanding.

She looked at Shalimar and then at Logan. "You, two, were fighting." She saw Logan smile but Shalimar only dropped her head. Looking to Ororo then Brennan she whispered sympathetically. "You lost control." Brennan, too, just turned away.

Ororo weakly spoke, "I assume you did not have to inform her, Charles." She saw him smile and shake his head.

"No, she knew on her own."

"But,---how can that be?" Evie was completely confused.

"I began to suspect something earlier today when you were comforting Kitty. You seemed to know just what she was thinking. I checked. You were exactly right. The previous dreams reflected exactly what everyone was going through." He paused to allow her time to comprehend. "Then, during this dream, you first saw Jesse and Kitty. Is that correct?"

"Yes," she weakly replied trying to make connections for herself.

"Jesse was sleeping peacefully. Kitty was awake watching over him."

"Yes, I could tell he was ok, but she was---sad." Intentionally, she left out the rest to not betray her young friend.

"At that point in your dream, already having my suspicions, I checked on them myself. I read exactly the same thing you did." His eyes met hers and she understood that he knew and agreed with her discretion. "I was willing to allow that it might just be a very wise woman's intuition; until the end of your dream when you called for help. You searched for me. I felt you locate and pull on my mind. That was why I was able to appear to you. I believe, my dear Evie, that you are a natural telepath."

"I'm---telepathic?" She was stunned. "But I never---"

"Your telepathic abilities are very weak. I believe the high levels of everyone's emotional states have given your abilities the boost they needed to leave their dormancy."

"But I knew you were going to be monitoring me. You were there anyway."

"No, I intentionally stayed at an extreme distance to not interfere in the dream. I only appeared after you reached out to me."

"I could touch you. Everyone else vanished."

"That was my doing. My powers solidified our connection. Yours were simply not strong enough. If I hadn't, then I, too, would have vanished from your mind, just as---"

"Adam---" Evie suddenly interrupted him. "Everyone else is here for me to read, especially if they're projecting so strongly. Adam isn't." She stopped and looked at him with a pleading in her eyes that almost broke his heart.

He began slowly, trying not to give false hope, yet explain as best he could. "Your relationship with Adam extends far beyond that of anyone else around you. It is possible that unconsciously you have been searching out Adam's mind. When you are awake you are, 'too busy', if you will, to discern that which your abilities have picked up. Only when you are in deep sleep can you receive and understand, hence the dreams."

Slowly and silently walking back toward Brennan and Shalimar she reached for their hands. With her back to him she spoke again. "Charles, are you telling me that I was right and Adam is alive?" She closed her eyes as she awaited his answer. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest.

"Yes."

Her knees buckled and she fell against Brennan who immediately supported her with his free arm. Logan was by her side in an instant and gently carried her back to the bed she had previously occupied. She weakly smiled her gratitude as he put her down.

Charles came back to her side. "I think it's time that we all got some sleep. Tomorrow will be a full day of searching. Perhaps Jubilee will have positive results to report. Now that we are all sure he's alive, we know that no matter what it takes, we will find him and bring him home." They all said their goodnights and left the lab feeling a little better than when they had gone in. Charles stayed the rest of the night in the lab with Evie, setting the computer to monitor her for any other dreams.

"Why are his readings this erratic?" he asked the tech in charge of the night shift.

"I'm not sure, Mr. Eckhart. This has happened every night now."

"Is the memory alteration complete?"

"Yes, sir. When he awakes in the morning he will only know what we have programmed for him."

"And what of his physical wounds?"

"They have all been healed. The dermal regenerator has concealed from the outside any continued healing on the inside. He won't ever know that he was in such bad shape."

"Ah, the wonders of modern medicine. Very good. Make sure he doesn't wake until I am with him."

"Yes, sir."

TBC

I hope I still have everyone's interest.