NOT FADE AWAY

By: Sage360

Disclaimer: M-X, Don't own them Enjoy!

MY REVIEWS ARE WORKING! YEAH! Thank you to everyone who wrote in! Here's the next installment, so enjoy. And for Viviana - I'm always the SB fan. Temptation is just a lot more fun! ^0^

TEMPTATION AND THE FERAL

They couldn't see her watching. Having just barely made it out of the kitchen. Lex stood in one of the side hallways. She leaned against the wall, a neon green apple in her hand, and watched her two recent topics of thought. Brennan and Jesse.

They'd just come in from shooting hoops and now raided the fridge in true hungry man style. Why? She thought. Why this team...and these two? Why this situation and this 'tension'? Why did she have to want them both?

But, she knew it was two different types of want. Brennan was something physical -held back. She knew if she didn't pursue him, her life wouldn't buckle from it and than made him bearable, since she probably wouldn't be able to. But Jesse...for her Jesse was an emotional feed. A drug of sorts. She'd deny she was on it, but truly needed it to survive. He filled something she'd tricked herself into thinking wasn't there. He filled her heart.

But as we know, it's always true that we hurt the ones we love the most. And the very thought of the molecular even knowing about her 'make- out' with Brennan shattered the walls of her nerves. Jesse simply was too complex. Brennan was so much easier...In every way.

The woman relaxed against the steal, and strained her ears to pick up their conversation. No doubt it was something man-based and totally boring. That was, till she heard her name.

"I don't know." Brennan barely lied between bites of his sandwich. "It was late when I got in last night. She was probably asleep."

Jesse's brow rose as he fixed his own food. "Or up with the Dominion."

"I wouldn't know. After putting getting Cole out of town, I was beat."

"Yep... Beat enough to go stop by her room."

Lexa froze as she saw Brennan's face. C'mon Sparky, think! The elemental cast a nervous glance at his 'brother'. "Jess, that was nothing."

"Then, why say it didn't happen?" There was an obvious knowing on the blonde man's face.

"Cause I'm not exactly ready to share another one of our arguments." He replied. Lexa gripped the fruit in her hand, mentally coaching him.

"Brennan, that's all you had to say. Why even cover it up?"

"Because, she...works my nerves. The last thing I feel like talking about is Lex."

She continued to watch the two in their awkward silence. To strong men, with different types of beauty. Brennan leaned casually back in his chair. A gracious collection of agile muscle, he was a tease underneath the sleeveless black shirt and sweat pants. Dark hair and the smooth face had her thinking of the cute little kid in her old neighborhood that used to cause so much trouble. She had such a crush on him.

Then there was Jesse. Her Jesse as she sometimes wanted to think. In her late night prowling through the rock, she'd come across the old photos of him. He was so clean cut back then, almost childish looking. But that perfect blonde-haired blue-eyed thing had also been her weakness. He was also a tall collection of muscle, but his beauty was quiet. Something silent and reckless, emerging with locks growing from his head. There was a time when he was okay with being so preppie. Now, that was gone. Time and loss cut a handsome danger into his face. And though his eyes kept their youthful sparkle, something intense sat behind them. Jesse was no longer so innocent and that almost broke her heart.

"So," Brennan continued. "You two work things out?"

"I thought you said you didn't want to talk about Lex?" The molecular said between bites. Their recent conversations and last argument had left a strange lump in his throat. He suddenly wasn't hungry.

"Just...checking up, that's all." Why did that one moment make Brennan feel as though he betrayed his best friend? The reality of it was a cover, just as Lexa said. But any straight man with eyes, couldn't deny the attraction. As physical as it was (and as 'necessary' as he questioned it to be), he'd enjoyed kissing the woman. "You two haven't really talked since then."

"Yeah, I know." Jesse pushed the plate back absently. "Look, Brennan. Lex and I -we had words, and some realizations..."

"And?" The elemental asked. Lexa herself leaned in, wanting an answer.

"And I don't know. I give her space, she gets in close. I get in close-" His words broke and Brennan could swear he saw Jesse's hand mass around his glass of juice. "She sleeps around."

Her head lowered as the elemental swallowed hard. Now, he saw that their not telling Jesse was right. "Dude, it was one time."

"That I know of..."

"What does it matter?" The elemental smirked. "You were never really official. There's plenty of women out there, don't get so caught up in her."

Bastard! She thought. It was in her to throw her apple right at his head. Jesse reclined back in his chair. "Easy to say that when you hate her."

A dark brow rose at that, causing the man to shift uneasily. "I don't hate Lex. We've been through a lot since she came on the team. Some people are just difficult." Some how, his mind always flashed back to that one moment. When he'd wake up on the floor, only to focus on the woman crying over her dead brother. Instantly, her choice burned into him. He hadn't quite been the same since. "All I'm saying is I saw how Blake affected you. Don' go threw it again."

"If it were that simple..." The molecular truly weighted the possibilities of he and Lexa, knowing if anything, it wouldn't be boring. It was enough to make his head hurt. "Dude, I'm hitting the shower."

"Yeah," Brennan replied. "I gotta find Shal. See what's goin' on."

Lexa waited till the men exited the kitchen before stepping back in. Something had to give with Brennan's answers. He was hiding something and that made her cringe. At least now, she could go to her room.

"Not so fast." The voice startled her. Turning, she came face to face with the one person who would kill her over them.

Stepping forward, Shalimar emerged from the shadows, anger seething in her eyes. "We need to talk."

Lexa turned to the agitated feral, ready for anything she might say. "Yes."

"We have a problem..."

"Really," The brunette grinned. "And what's that?"

"You hurting my brother..." The blonde circled her slowly, sizing the woman up. "Just had to open your-"

"THIS is between me and Jesse."

"Lexa, you slept with Blake while he waited in the Helix! He was there to protect you and you were on your back 'weakening the opposition'."

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Shalimar. My choices are my own."

"See, that's just it." The blonde stopped in front of her. "You're choices aren't you own. You aren't by yourself, and this isn't a solo gig. We're a team. We look out for each other. And that means we get involved when the other's down. You can't make those same choices anymore and no matter how you weigh it, we are a part of your decision making. Get used to it."

"See, that's just it, Shalimar." The woman stepped in closer, thinning the space between herself and the blonde. "I AM used to it. Every choice you've tried to avoid, I've had to make over and over. What are you gonna do one day, when you find yourself 'involved' with the opposition? When you end up 'on your back' as you say?" Lexa saw the eyes flash gold and secretly prepared a laser blast. It was always handy to have fire for the feral. "When you have to make a choice between your beliefs and your body to save your them? I've done that - I can still do it. But you..." She now circled the smaller woman, seeing how easily she understood. "How would you even explain it to Brennan?"

"You bitch!"

"No, Shal. I'm just honest. And like I told Jesse, I won't apologize for Blake or how I handle him. Just know, that between you and me, when it comes to those 'hard choices' you think you just have to avoid, I CAN face them straight on..." For the first time, the blonde saw a scarlet flame flash inside the light blue eyes, the extreme degrees of the colors made her cringe. "And I will follow through on every one."

She knew Shalimar could sense her truth. The blonde eyed her in a slow exploration, weighing the very possibility of killing the woman. It would have been her pleasure. "Don't threaten me, Lex."

"Follow your own advice." The chromatic molecular stepped back. "And just so you know. Your-"

"LEXA!"

Both women turned to see the elemental standing a little ways back. He knew what she was about to say and seeing how coiled up the women were wasn't exactly sexy right then- well, maybe a little. Brennan started towards them quickly. "You need some air-"

"No, I don't!" She replied while pulling back from his grip. "Your girlfriend needs to step the hell back."

"Yeah, when you stop messing with this team!" Shalimar snapped.

"Well, wouldn't you like to know how much I've 'messed' with this team!" She yelled, oblivious to the entering footsteps. "But maybe Sparky could tell you that! Better yet, his buddy Cole -he saw the whole thing!-"

"SHIT! Lex, shut- up!" The elemental yelled.

Shalimar looked between the two of them, a knowing fear sweeping her eyes. "Brennan?"

"Shal...We were in the club undercover. It was after I turned of my COMM Link...She came in acting as my girlfriend."

"Acting?" The feral smirked. "Just how much acting was it?"

"Shal-"

"Or did it get about as real as Samantha?!" She interrupted him. "So, what Lex? Did you do him, too? First, you break Jesse's heart, sleeping with a stranger. Then you turn around and fuck his best friend?! Someone he considers a brother?! I wouldn't be surprised. Brennan can't say no to open legs!"

"Shalimar," The elemental edged in. "We didn't sleep together."

"And I'm suppose to believe you!"

"We didn't." Lexa said with a know-it-all smirk. "Sorry to disappoint you..."

The feral looked away, trying to hold her shaking in. "You both make me sick."

"Shal!" Brennan yelled walking past the brunette. "She kissed me!"

"But you kissed back." The woman grinned. "Several times..." Shalimar's face narrowed in its anger.

"LEXA, SHUT UP!" Brennan finally snapped.

The feral turned to face him with cold in her eyes. "You BOTH can shut up."

"See, Shalimar. That choice was based on you being so worried, that you threatened to blow Brennan's cover. So, out of 'concern of you', I went in to reconnect with him -y'know, trade information. Now, that I think about it, It wasn't a hard choice at all... I mean, he reopened his link, which allowed you to follow him again and that eased your nerves cause you were 'looking out for your team'. And to think, all of your piece came from a few minutes of making out."

"Making out?!" The blonde yelled. "You said she just kissed you!"

Brennan rolled his eyes at the situation. Now matter how much he treaded, she pulled him deeper. "Shal, Lexa came in, kissed me in front of Cole, then got me away from him, to trade information. Cole was watching, so she_"

"Made it look real! I know!" The feral interrupted.

"That's all it was. We argued about it when I came back that night. I told her I wasn't about to hurt you or Jesse."

"So, you two planned to keep it quiet, right?" Shalimar's arms folded so tight, that her knuckles whitened.

The dark man exhaled in defeat. "It seemed like the right choice at the time."

"Oh, absolutely." Lexa's voice swam in sarcasm. "I mean, look at you now. You're so wound up, you're shaking. We definitely had the right idea."

"I don't believe you." Shalimar snapped. "I don't believe that Lexa went in with just the intention of 'trading information'! And I still thing you slept together!"

"No, they didn't."

The crowd turned, only to freeze in their actions. Jesse stood there, fists pushed deep into his pockets. His face tired of the entire scene. But he hadn't spoken. That voice belonged to the man several steps a head of him. "I was there and I saw it. Nothing happened between them."

Shalimar stepped forward, now trembling in realization. HE was truly there, in front of her in flesh and blood. "Adam?"

"Yes, Shalimar. And I can a sure you, nothing happened other than their cover." Stepping towards the shocked woman, he pulled her close. The fact that she could actually feel him unsettled her all together. The leader of Mutant X looked back at Jesse before lowering his head and kissing the top of the feral's hair. His eyes then focused on the fuming elemental and Lexa. Her own eyes, flashing their shared secrets. "My God..." He whispered while tightening his hold. "My, how my house has fallen."