AN: for some reason *silly me* I thought I might be able to get away with leaving this story where it was in the last chapter, with the very beginnings of Shal's progress back into the world. But then there were 9 reviews for that chapter, every single one asking for more. So, this chapter came to life. Sorry it took so long, life is hectic and now there's also Darkle, who seems to be taking up an inordinate amount of my life. Strange how these things happen, isn't it.
6 Months Later
Jesse surfaced slowly, his mind still spinning from a half-remembered dream. As reality began to crystallise he realised just how dream-like the last few months had been. As Adam had begun Shalimar's lessons, Jesse and Shalimar had slowly moved closer and closer. Though at first she had seemed reluctant to use her new found powers of self-expression with him - much to his disappointment - Shalimar had been eager to learn what she could as quickly as she could. Words and phrases often disjointed, they became used to deciphering her speech, correcting her where necessary and taking pleasure in finding new words and concepts to teach her. It had taken nearly two months for Jesse to coax a conversation out of her, in her strange-sounding clipped language. At first he had been hurt, worried that she didn't trust him. But her appearance in his room that first night, and all those that followed it, suggested otherwise. When questioned by Adam or Emma, she had simply scowled and refused to talk further to any of them. It had been Emma that had first suggested that perhaps Shalimar was shy. Finally approaching her and telling her precisely how much she meant to him, Jesse had woken the next morning to find himself sharing a bed with the blond, and they had not slept separately since.
As soon as the cast had been removed from her wrist Adam had begun her training again, soft at first, simply to lessen her boredom. It had taken several accidents before they could get her to fully understand her own strength in comparison to theirs. The words, they found, were too complex. The ideas of mutation, genetics, even the prejudice of the world around her that she had once known all too well. She couldn't grasp the concepts, let alone the vocabulary needed to talk about them. So she learned control through Brennan's pain, and Jesse's, as they sparred and lost. Suddenly they were all very aware of how much Shalimar had been holding back when she'd sparred with them in the past. Even injured, still scarily thin and jumping every time one off them moved too fast or raised their voice out of the structure and rules of the dojo, she could still leave one or both of them groaning on medilab beds as she hovered uncertainly, not understanding what she had done wrong. Somehow the assurance that she could fight back and respond in kind in the boundaries of the training arena, gave her the courage that showed perhaps the tiniest glimpse of the imposing and strong willed woman she used to be. And control, though slow to return, was appearing bit by bit.
He shot up in bed suddenly, the decision to move having bypassed his conscious mind. Taking a moment to readjust he found the other side of the bed empty and a soft noise carrying through from the bathroom. Moving to the door he pushed it open gently to find Shalimar stood naked before the full length mirror, humming some nameless tune to herself. She looked up as the door opened, eyes wide.
"I wake you?" She asked, frowning for a moment before correcting. "I woke you?"
"Yes," He smiled, telling her he didn't mind. "What were you doing?"
"A picture, look." She said, turning back to the mirror. Raising her hands above her head - in the position she had been chained in he realised with a shudder of revulsion - Shalimar turned her head to one side and looked at herself out of the corner of her eye.
Stepping forward Jesse gasped as he realised she was right, a picture was revealed in the soft white lines that decorated her body. Many had faded now, barely visible, but the bright fluorescent light brought them into harsh relief. Splayed across her body in soft lines and suggestions of shapes, a woman and a man took part in a primal dance. The lines her body naturally drew had been made part of the picture and here and there were gaps where her skin ended. He shuddered again, fighting very hard not to swear, words spoken in anger or hate still had power over her. He wrapped his arms around her stomach, smiling his approval as her hands came down to cover his. "Come back to bed. We're going into town tomorrow, that's a big step. We have to be well rested."
Gently drawing her away, Jesse was relieved when she followed. Once back in bed, Jesse shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out the vision of two people engraved into creamy white skin.
AN2: There'll probably be two chapters, then I'm afraid it really will be the end.