Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone for your support and encouragement! (And the welcome back!!) I was able to get a few more chapters written this past weekend, but am still working out the exact details of this story. So please forgive me for updating so slowly! I will finish working out the details this week, so I can write more quickly and update more frequently. And just a warning for these next few chapters—they are angsty! So don't kill me! :) I hope you enjoy! Thank you!!
Chapter Two—Things Best Known
Two weeks dragged slowly by, and with each sweeping moment of the clock, Shalimar's patience stretched thin. Two weeks, and still no word from Brennan. His presence was keenly missing from Sanctuary, but no one talked about it. Shalimar sighed heavily, lethargically moving a toe to push against the ground, spinning the chair she was slouched down in. Something was up. It was not like Brennan to maintain silence for so long, and it was not like Jesse to not worry along with her. She was convinced he knew something; Lexa most certainly did.
The slight squeaking of the chair was the only sound in the quiet bedroom as she rotating around in a full circle, stopping when she was again facing her computer. She stared at her computer, willing it to chime a message, willing it to connect her to Brennan. She frowned crankily at it when it failed to do either. She sighed again; waiting. Ten more minutes passed and she swore at her computer as she banged her fist down on the chair arm. Eyes glowed golden as she opened her senses; reaching searching. She perked up slightly when she felt nothing. Nothing.
"Hey, Jess."
There was a pause before he answered. "Yeah?"
She narrowed her eyes at his guarded tone. "Where are you guys?"
"Lexa and I took the helix out,' He hesitated. "We're just running routine checks on some of the old safehouses."
"Yeah." She shook her head as she cut the connection. She rapped her fingers moodily against the desktop for a moment, thinking, before pushing herself to her feet and striding purposefully down the hall. Pushing aside a twinge of guilt, she paused in the doorway of Lexa's office, debating where to look first. There had to be some clue on Brennan's whereabouts somewhere. She made quick work of ransacking the desk after giving up on her attempts to guess Lexa's computer password. She riffled through the top drawers and found nothing. As she pulled open the bottom drawer, she frowned, noticing that the bottom wasn't nearly as deep as the outside.
Ah-ha, she murmured, running her fingers over the smooth bottom until she found the nearly invisible release button. The bottom sprang open, revealing a tiny hidden compartment below. You'd think Lexa would be a bit more original. She smirked as she pulled out a stack of papers and saw a small snapshot of Jesse sitting on top of them.
"Oh, he'd love to know that," she mused aloud, tossing it aside and turning her attention to the documents instead. She made quick work of skimming through them, freezing when she found a brief missive from the Dominion detailing Brennan and a hotel in a small southern town. Gotcha. She strode back out of the office and straight to the garage, not bothering to put the desk back in order. They'd get the message clear enough.
Five hours later, Shalimar grunted as she stretched cramped muscles. The speed and efficiency of the helix had spoiled her over the years she realized as she clenched the steering wheel of her jeep, grimacing as another jolt from the rough road rocked the vehicle and vibrated though her body. She just prayed she was almost there as her bladder screamed at her in agony as she lurched over another bump in the dirt road. Her fingers tightened their hold on the wheel. She sighed in relief twenty minutes later when the small town finally opened up before her. She drove slowly through the dusty main street, glancing in both directions until she saw the flashing neon sign for the hotel she was after. It stood proud and shiny, in stark contrast to the faded buildings around it; obviously new to town. She gritted her teeth as the jeep rolled to a final, jerky stop and dust billowed in through the rolled down windows. Sweat trickled down her temple, and she pushed damp strands of hair back from her face as she climbed out and stared up at the monstrosity before her. What the hell was Brennan doing in a place like this?
Her bladder gave another persistent reminder that she had more pressing needs to take care of, so she pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and walked up the steps and into the lobby. Five minutes later, she cringed as she took in her disheveled appearance in the mirror. Her hair was damp and sweaty, falling wildly down her back in a riotous mass of tangled curls. The last traces of makeup had long since been sweated away and dark circles from too many sleepless nights stood out boldly under her tired eyes. She splashed cold water on her cheeks and tucked her hair behind her ears as best she could before determinedly walking back out into the lobby. If Brennan was here, she would find him. She stepped back out just in time to see a woman pull back from an amorous embrace with a broad-shouldered man that had his back to her. A shock jolted through Shalimar as she watched Brennan return the woman's kiss, his arms stealing down from her shoulders to stroke possessively down her slender back.
"Brennan?" She hated how her voice shook.
The small lobby was silent as he slowly turned around.
"Hello." The greeting was a study in calm simplicity, a slight tightening of his arm around the woman's waist the only indication her appearance had on him.
Her heart was thundering in her eardrums, but she affected a matching indifference. "Hey."
"You two know each other?" The woman stared at Shalimar haughtily.
"Yes." Shalimar's nostrils flared.
Something flickered in Brennan's dark eyes, something that seemed to match the amusement in his smile as he watched them. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Obviously not," Shalimar gripped her keys tightly in her balled fist. She was at a loss for words. She was surprised when Brennan suddenly nodded in dismissal.
"Nice seeing you again." He turned his back to Shalimar and smiled down at the woman next to him. She smiled back, snuggling into his side and throwing a smirk over her shoulder at Shalimar as Brennan led her into the hotel's adjoining dining room. "Hungry?" He asked her lazily.
The heat burned in Shalimar's cheeks, a vivid expression of anger hardening her face. Remembering the brief file from the Dominion, she had been so sure he was here on a mission. How could Brennan ignore her like that? She didn't know if she should feel humiliated or just plain furious with him. It was all the more galling because of the faint, triumphant smile lingering on that woman's face. Was he trying to hurt her? She watched them disappear into the other room. The muscles on the back of her neck tightened as the server's voice cheerfully drifted back as he greeted them. "Good to see you've finally emerged from your room to take a break and eat."
She gasped and spun around, storming out the door and back into the stifling heat of the dusty town. She made it as far as her jeep, before her shaking legs gave way, and she groaned as she leaned against the hood for a long moment.
"Shalimar?"
Her head shot up to see Brennan standing beside her. "You've got a lot of explaining to do!" Her eyes flashed up at him.
"Yeah." He took hold of her arm and propelled her across the parking lot. Out of sight of the lobby windows, he turned her round swiftly to face him, then pulled her into his arms. "But why waste the few minutes we have together?"
She tried to twist free. "Why? Do you have to rush back to that tramp?"
"Retract your claws, Shal." His arms tightened about her waist, and Shalimar fought against the dragging, warm tide that washed over her at his nearness. "There's too much to answer, not in so short a time." He held her in a comforting prison of muscled arms. She felt herself start to weaken. Her head fell back against his arm, and he was looking deeply into her eyes. She found herself filled with a heart-thumping urgency that demanded her arms go around him, that her lips respond willingly as his head lowered. Her senses swam as they kissed, and she reveled in the feel and taste of him.
"That," He whispered into her hair a moment later, "Was to convince you I haven't forgotten. I couldn't forget you if I tried. A few stolen moments with her isn't going to make me forget." He lowered his head to hers again, but his words echoed hauntingly in her mind. A few stolen moments.
The image came rushing back of his arms wrapped around that other woman. She stiffened and with a gasp of anger, wrenched free. "What's going on Brennan? You disappear for two weeks, and I find you here with her?"
"What about you?" He shot back. "What are you doing here? It's more than a bit awkward for you to be here at the moment."
"Yeah, I can see why!" She backed up with seething hostility.
"Shal, wait—"
"Two weeks, Brennan. It's been two weeks since I've heard from you."
"I told you I had to leave." He looked down. "I'm staying here with her now."
Her hands clenched in frustration. "You don't have anything else to say about it?" Her voice rose. "Do you love her?"
Swiftly, his hand closed over her mouth as he glanced towards the door. They stood there, neither of them moving for a minute, then Brennan turned her chin upward, his eyes burning with emotion. "Let it go, Shal, just let it go." He suddenly released her and walked away, back into the hotel.
She stared after him, uncertainly. He hadn't denied it. He only wanted her gone so she wouldn't see him. What was going on?
"Where are you, Shalimar?"
She jumped as Jesse's voice crackled through her comlink.
"Jesse." She whispered his name dejectedly.
"Nice message you left for us." Lexa's commented dryly. "Did you find him?"
"Yeah." Her voice was flat.
"Good," Jesse remarked. 'Listen, Shal—"
"We need you to get a message to him." Lexa broke in. "Tell him 8pm."
"What?"
"Just tell him." The line went dead.
"Jesse!" She tried to reestablish a link, but couldn't connect. "What the hell is happening?" She kicked the dirt, coughing as it spiraled up and choked her. She debated leaving for a moment before groaning and walking back into the lobby. She peered into the dining room to find it empty.
"Excuse me?" She inquired at the front desk. "Can you direct me to Brennan Mulwray's room, please?"
She took the steps two at a time, determined to find him and this time get an explanation out of him. Something was obviously going on here, she just had to find out what. She heard footsteps ahead of her, and she paused in the hallway, before walking softly to the corner, and peering down the corridor. The mysterious woman was a few yards in front of her. She strolled purposely down the hallway before stopping in front of room ten and trying the door. It opened readily. Brennan stood there, clearly visible, his jacket removed, his collar loose at the neck. He said something to the woman, and she threw her arms around him. He embraced her with a kiss, drawing her into the room. The door fell shut behind them.
Shalimar stared, her knuckles pressed against her mouth to silence the wounded scream that struggled to escape from deep within her soul.