CHAPTER 3
Empty Decorations.
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TWIRLING the glass goblet in her hand, the dark liquid sloshed in a circle. Finally, Shalimar placed the wine glass back next to her plate which was stained with gravy from her dinner. How she had missed this, she thought to herself as Jesse went on with his story.
"So here I was panicking in the OB and Emma there stretched out on the bed, with each contraction getting closer-."
"And you know what he says?" Emma interrupted him.
"What?" Shalimar laughed, knowing this was going to be a good line. On the other end of the table, Jesse, with one elbow on the back of his chair, laughed and rolled his eyes, causing Shalimar to go into a fit of giggles before Emma could say anything.
Half closing her eye lids, intended as a stare for her husband, Emma made a small smile and continued, turning slowly back at Shalimar, "He says: 'You ok? Do want me to phase her out?'"
"But wait," Jesse exclaims stopping Shalimar in mid laugh, "My wife takes the cake with her next line." He waited for the suspense effect giving Emma the chance to shake her head and look down at the same time before shifting her gaze back up. "She grabs me by the collar and her exact words were 'Do that and I'll make you think you are her!'"
"Sometimes, I wished I had done that." Emma half sighed after the laughter had died down.
"Oh yeah," Jesse gave his signature lop-sided grin, "I love you to." The un-mistaken able sound of 'humph' escaped from Emma's smiling lips as she stood up to collect the dishes. With a little pout of hers, Shalimar raised her eyebrows at Jesse who had sighed this time. "I'll get those," he pulled himself out of the chair and snatched the plates from Emma's hands.
"Wasn't like you had any choice." Emma answered.
At that point, Shalimar knew that Jesse was trying for the last line thing; only, the molecular knew very well to keep his trap shut when needed. "I'll help…" she offered.
"You sit." Emma barked, turning towards Jesse, "You. Go in." she pointed towards the kitchen entrance where the sink and dishwasher lived and beckoned. Trudging in like a soldier on suicide mission, Jesse delivered the porcelain pieces to the back room with Emma close behind him.
Whether it was part of her feral nature or not, Shalimar was never one to just "sit". In fact, she did the exact opposite of Emma's orders. But it wasn't completely defiant as well. She wasn't going to just "sit" down, but neither was she thinking of the dishes this time.
Silently stepping through the connecting corridor between the dinning area and the Kilmartin's hall, Shalimar followed the long line of framed photos on the wall. One looked especially familiar to her own self. There sitting on a tall stool, surrounded by his loved ones, was Adam Kane. She absent mindedly twisted her own hair as Shalimar studied herself in that photo. For a moment she had wished only for her long messy blonde mane. Emma stood behind Adam as her chin rested on his shoulder and just right next to her was Jesse smiling broadly. Brennan planted himself on the other side of Adam just behind Shalimar herself. The smiles on their faces showed so much love between them and depth in their friendship.
Taking two steps back to check on the sleeping infant, a small smile creased on Shalimar's smooth features.
Than, taking 3 steps forwards, she moved on to the next collection of pictures. This one was natural.
Carmen just laughing.
Actually it was the scene that played before her that was worth more to capture. Imagine: Jesse and herself caught in a wrestling lock. One that started after they had discovered where the last Mars bar went.
Fingernail against the glass, Shalimar remembered that this was taken when Emma was on her photography craze. The girl was snapping everything is site. Shalimar chuckled, even her own dinner.
"Talked to her recently?"
Shalimar whirled left pausing to smile, "Yeah, but she had some mission that Adam sent her to," she answered Emma. "So she kept it short."
"Well you know her, as serious as you are about MX."
"Yeah well, that's what scares me sometimes." She whispered. "What about you? From Jamie, Shane or even Mel?"
Emma laughed gently, "You know I can't remember the day that these brats walked into our lives."
"I can." She helped. "It was Carmen first, who was selling Brownie cookies."
Emma made a face at the choice of Carmen's products for sale.
"Yeah I know," Shalimar agreed, "But at least it was an honest living."
"Not with the amount of sugar and preservatives in there." The brunette joked.
"Next was…Mel, who was working at a Security agency?"
"Yup," Emma confirmed, "Getting into tight spots was their motto."
"For someone who said she can't remember when these 'brats' came into our lives, you know quite a bit." Shalimar challenged as she leaned against the wall.
"Well, for someone who said she could remember, remembered wrongly."
Shalimar took some time to give her friend a confused look.
"Shane came first."
"Really?" Shalimar frowned at those words.
"He was the one we spotted through the newspapers. Remember the headlines? 'Boy floods school'. I remember saying to Adam that it wasn't odd," Emma sighed and dropped her head slightly before continuing, "But he proved me wrong when he pointed me to the small part about he doing it in 5 minutes."
"Oh right, it was the one we managed to twist the story into faulty taps wasn't it?"
'That's it. Though Jamie for me is still a little fuzzy."
"Jamie read us on the spot. We were just minding our own business and pop comes this blonde asking us if MX was still looking for team mates."
It was odd, but for a moment when they laughed, it seemed like they were still sitting at the hall of Sanctuary on the every typical day and just chatting freely.
"We use to call them "recruits"." Shalimar continued.
"Well at least we did, Brennan called them 'our replacements'."
"Oh come on, it was a mutual agreement that we wanted out."
"Yeah, we did, didn't we."
"We were all tired."
"Adam wasn't." Emma commented.
Shalimar eyed her warmly. "Adam is Adam. There aren't exactly any two ways about that."
"But I guess you're right. Risking hair and limb for a day job has its risks."
Staring at the following portrait of the current MX team, the funny bit was that they were standing in the exact same way as the senior members had. The chestnut haired Carmen in Shalimar's spot, blonde Jamie in Emma's. Not forgetting the Asian Mel and dark haired Shane in Jesse's and Brennan's places respectively.
"And we have Mel the ever talented molecular who owns the ability to transport himself from point A to B." From the sudden glance to Jesse, Shalimar shifted her same gaze to Emma as she did the same, but letting themselves quiet for Jesse to continue. "Now Carmen is a difficult girl, she threw me against a brick wall on our first "date"." He rolled snorted, "Feline Ferals."
"Yeah, and I would've done the same if you snuck up on me like that." Shalimar defended.
"Adam sent me to find her. And you were stuck in la-la land." Jesse answered back, referring to her late morning wake up habits.
The hand was quicker than the eye as Shalimar's elbow made contact with Jesse's side.
"Are you gals all trying to get me?" he said, rubbing his sore area.
"Don't flatter yourself."
Smiling, Emma said, "Well, aren't you going to continue?"
"For my wife." He sighed. "Jamie: the brilliant psionic. And who wouldn't be, if you were able to read one's mind. And last but not least, sarcastic Shane. The liquid elemental. Remember to bring him along on any desert trips, as water is essential. Who also, I think, is still talking in riddles."
"That kid never gave a straight answer." Shalimar recalled.
"And still doesn't," Emma added.
The phone shrilled for attention and Jesse excused himself to take the call.
Somehow that made the blonde look at her watch. "Damn, look at the time."
"What do you have to go?"
"As much as I hate to, yes."
"But you just got here." Emma complained.
"Don't worry; I'm not doing a disappearing act anytime soon."
"I thought you were on a break?" Jesse asked his hands on his hips. This was always the way he stood whenever seriously asking a question.
"Who was it?" Emma asked to her husband.
He looked lost for a moment before jerking into an answer. "Wrong number."
Emma flashed a frown before looking back at Shalimar.
"I am," Shalimar replied the interrupted question, "But I decided to talk to someone about The Dojo connections. And she seems to have this fascination with late night coffee shops." Shalimar shrugged and approached the sleeping child, rushing her cheek lightly than heading for her coat.
Emma pulled open the closet door and retrieved her friend's outer warmth. "So how long will you be staying?"
"Probably a few more days at least." She replied, already putting on half her coat. "At least for my niece's sake."
Pulling the door inwards, Jesse unintentionally let the cold night air in and stepped out with the two women. "Good."
Shalimar stopped short, her foot already in the snow. "Why?"
Pushing her forward to her car, Jesse answered, "Oh maybe for another dinner date?"
She didn't like the way 'date' sounded. Suspicious.
Very suspicious
"Well you know how rare we get to see you guys- I mean you…gal." Emma smiled, pulling her thin jumper around her slim body.
Okay this is getting to weird. Even if she had to face a blizzard much less the cold, she was going to stare the couple down. "What is it?"
"You're late." Jesse pointed out. Snow flakes patted softly all around; causing Shalimar to finally notice it was snowing.
She hated it, but he was right. "Fine. You have my number, call me." Hugging Emma and Jesse, Shalimar slipped into her rental car and started her engine, watching as the Kilmartin's shut the front door.
The wipers did their work of getting the snow off her road view, and Shalimar drove off.
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"You think she noticed?"
Jesse raised an eyebrow but answered still, "Even if she's stupid, Shal's not dumb."
Emma let the curtains fall as the feral's car drove out of sight. "Sorry slip of the tongue."
"'Guys' and 'Gal' doesn't even rhyme." Jesse scowled.
"And what would you have proposed?"
"At least she doesn't completely know." He avoided the question. "I hope."
"That, I seriously doubt." Emma smirked, walking towards Piper and lifting her up into her own arms. "Neither will Brennan."
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The digital clock showed 3.27 am. Jesse cursed and pulled the uninvited ringing phone to his ear before it could wake up the baby. "Hello?" he groggily greeted, pushing away some of the thick sheets.
Nothing.
"Jesse?" Emma whispered as she leaned against him trying to figure out who it was on the other end.
He placed his finger on his lips, a sign for silence. "Hello?" This time, his voice sounded firmer, hoping to get whatever roughness to scare the person away.
Still nothing.
The dead tone.
The caller hung up.
Jesse hit the end button to the cordless phone.
"Who was that?" Emma asked, worried.
He swallowed hard, knowing his answer will only frighten them more. "Wrong number."
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Sorry people I know it's not much, but you see I came back from Japan for Youth Exchange a month ago and I've been busy with my new job and setting up my new computer. But anyway, it's a small update which lays the foundation for some stuff in the future. I hope you all like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!