Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: I gave Bren and Shal some time together in the past few chapters, but now it's time to get back to the plot! So things will begin to pick up again now. I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Thank you!
Things Best Known—Chapter Eleven
Shalimar gripped the steering wheel as she sped down the dry, dusty road. She had long left the town limits, but the further away she drove, the more concerned she grew. It went against her every instinct to leave in the first place, and her mind screamed at her to turn around. She could feel it in every part of her body, the itch to protect, to fight for that which she loved. Right now, her entire being was attuned to Brennan, and it was literally tearing her apart.
A frustrated growl fell from her lips as she turned off a side road only to find herself behind a slow moving tractor. Her toe tapped impatiently against the pedal as she was forced to follow behind at an agonizingly slow speed. She braced her elbow against the window, leaning her head into her hand, trying to calm down the sense of urgency struggling to break free from its forced restraint. She needed to move. She wanted to turn around. She needed to trust Brennan. Thoughts raced through her mind in a tangled jumble until she couldn't stand it anymore. Brakes squealed as her jeep did a sudden and sharp turn, heading back the way she had just come. Fingers again gripped the wheel as she answered the call of her heart.
Brennan had to admit, the sense of danger felt far away on this beautiful, lazy afternoon. He stretched out on the picnic blanket, stomach contentedly full from eating a large meal. Allie seemed more like herself once she was out of the presence of the mutant, and it was hard to imagine her being a threat. Memories of their time together from years ago twisted and confused with what he knew to be true of her today.
He sat up slightly as she handed him a slice of berry pie.
"I'm told these berries are locally grown," she sweetly smiled at him.
He took a large bite even though he wasn't hungry any longer, eyes widening in appreciation as the tangy juice hit his taste buds. She laughed at his expression before sneaking a bite off his plate.
"Hey!" He protested as she tried again to dip her fork into his slice. "Where's yours?"
"Too fattening," She mumbled around her mouthful.
"I seem to remember you doing that 13 years ago," he teased, shielding his plate with his hand.
Her smile faltered for a moment before she dropped her head, fiddling with the picnic basket.
"What's wrong, Allie?"
"Nothing," Her lips spread wide into another smile, but he noticed it didn't reach her eyes.
"You sure?" He reached out and cupped her cheek, deciding now was as good a time as any to get her to trust him, to confide in him.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Her eyes dropped for a moment and then lifted back up, meeting his gaze. "There's a bottle of champagne chilling in a cooler in the back of the car, would you get it please?"
"Sure." He jumped lightly to his feet, jogging the short distance to the parked vehicle.
Her eyes turned hard the moment his back was turned, and she calmly lifted two flute glasses out of the basket. She laid one down and kept the one in her hand as she dug into her pocket, pulling out a tiny vial. Eyes darted back to check on Brennan and seeing he was just reaching the car, she pulled the topper off the vial with her teeth, holding her breath as she carefully allowed a few drops of liquid to fall into the glass. Her lips curved upward as she watched the clear liquid coat the inside of the glass as the few drops trailed down to disappear into the fluted bottom.
Shalimar muttered under her breath as she sat in her jeep in the hotel parking lot, waiting for an arguing couple with three kids to get into their car and leave.
"Come on, come on." Her fingers drummed against the dashboard as she leaned forward to peer at the balcony of Brennan's room. It looked dark and deserted. Finally after what seemed like a torturously long amount of time, the couple threw their hands into the air, got into the car, and left. Finally.
She leapt from the jeep, casually strolled over to the side of the hotel and with one more quick glance around, flew high into the air. She grunted as she scraped her hand against the railing, pulling herself up and over. She grinned as her fingers fell on the sliding door. Brennan didn't have to know she was back in town. She yanked hard, surprised when the door held fast.
"Argh!" She bit her lip to silence the desire to scream in frustration. The door was locked.
"To us," Allie held up her glass to toast against Brennan's. He smiled at her as he took the proffered glass from her hand. She lifted her glass to her lips to take a sip.
"Ah, no, no, no, no." Brennan playfully reached out to stop her, pulling the glass from her surprised fingers.
"What are you doing?" Her eyes were locked on her glass.
He held them both in front of him. "I seem to remember a certain game we used to play when we were younger."
She blanched as he smiled widely. "No, Brennan."
"Why not?" He laughingly cajoled. "Come on, play with me." His hands weaved back and forth, moving the glasses in a confusing dance between hands.
"I said no!"
His brows rose at her intensity. "You want to tell me what's wrong?"
She shrugged, not lifting her gaze from his hands. "I just wanted us to enjoy this moment as a couple. No fooling around, no childish games."
"Ah." He relented with a sigh. "Alright. I can do romantic." He held the glass back out to her.
Shalimar stopped in surprise as she walked into the lobby of the hotel. She didn't know exactly where Brennan was at the moment, but his scent was very strong. He was close, she could smell him. Her forehead pinched in confusion; his scent was everywhere, yet she couldn't sense him, couldn't feel him. Eyes scanned the lobby, but found nothing. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Still nothing. She crossed over to the dining room, heels clicking loudly on the floor. The lobby was quiet, only the desk clerk shared the space with her. She peered into the dining room, but in the slow of the afternoon, it was empty. Her nostrils flared as she again caught a whiff of Brennan's distinctive scent. What the hell? Why couldn't she feel him near? She crossed back through the lobby and headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Room number ten was quiet as she pressed her ear against the wooden door, but she broke in anyway.
"Brennan?" His aftershave lingered in the air, and his clothes from the night before were still scattered across the floor, but there was no sign of him. Grunting in frustration, she left the room. Again, his scent was strong as soon as she stepped into the hallway.
"Brennan?" She tried again.
And then suddenly, he was there in front of her, standing at the end of the hallway.
"Bren?" She stepped toward him in relief. "Don't be mad, I had to come back, I—"
His face wavered before her; she blinked and suddenly realized a stranger stood before her. "I'm, ah, I'm sorry," She stuttered in surprise, "I thought you were someone else." She bit her lip as Brennan's scent poured off the man. Something didn't feel right. Her heart thumped in sudden shock as the man slowly smiled.
"Hello, Shalimar."
Allie's fingers tightened in cold relief around the flute glass; that had been too close. She forced her tense lips into a smile.
Brennan watched her closely as he affected a carefree laugh. He could tell something was bothering her, and was determined to get it out of her.
"Just like old times, huh?"
She nodded, staying silent.
"So what have you been doing over the years?" He tried again.
She shrugged nonchalantly. "Mostly, I've been working."
"With Steven?"
She gasped slightly, eyes glazing over, lips pursing into her first genuine smile of the afternoon at the mention of his name.
"Well?"
She shook herself back to awareness. "Why all the questions, darling? Let's toast, shall we?" She made a motion for him to take a drink.
"Here," He whispered romantically, stilling her hand as it rose to her lips, "Like this." He twined their arms around each other and gently clicked their glasses together. "Here's to crimes and passions of the heart." He referenced her old inscription. Maybe that will stir some guilty feelings of remembrance in that stone, cold heart of hers. His eyes watched her, wondering as he picked up on her sense of anxiousness.
"Hmm," She murmured in satisfaction, holding her breath as he lifted the glass to his mouth. Her tongue darted out and licked her lips in anticipation. Steven would be so pleased with her. She quivered at the thought, unable to hold back her cackle of glee as Brennan finally rested the rim against his lips and took a deep drink.
It was finally done.