Spiritwalker-

A/N-These characters belong to the creators of Mutant X. They don't belong to me, except Kari Spiritwalker. She's for sale, email me for details.

Couple of warnings for everyone-

First-KLENEX!  You'll need it!

Second-Once again, I might offend those with religious sensibilities. Sorry.

Third-To review is to make my day. Please, do your best Eastwood. I need the support.

Visits

Lexa tried to process the scene in front of her. She had buried her brother not too long ago. He was now standing in front of her. Therefore he was a ghost. He had to be.

"Lex, you okay?" Leo asked, putting his hands on her shoulders to steady her.

His hands were like ice. Lexa shuddered.

"You're dead," she breathed, "You can't be standing here."

"You're still asleep and I," he replied, quickly pulling his hands away, "am a dream. You and your friends are in the dreamscape."

Lexa didn't process.

"What?"

"You're dreaming," Leo continued, heading back toward Jesse's room, "You don't realize how great this is for us, having that Spiritwalker here."

It connected.

"Kari brought you here?" Lexa asked in disbelief, "She can do that?"

"It took some doing between me and others here," Leo explained, "I don't have much time to tell you this, Lexa, but you're in a good place for you. Live."

"It's hard to live," Lexa replied, taking a moment to realize what he was saying, "I feel like I have lost direction."

Leo pushed Jesse's door open slightly.

"You haven't lost direction," he smiled, "These guys are your new family. Protect them like you protected me, Lex, they love you like a sister. It's hard to see, but they do."

"And Jesse?" Lexa asked, watching her friend sleep.

"I can't tell you the future, sis," Leo turned to meet her eyes, "But stay with these guys, they are part of your path. Time to wake up."

Lexa frowned. She didn't want him to go.

"Leo…" She stammered.

"I know, you don't have to say it." He wrapped his arms around her as he faded.

She opened her eyes to the play of sunlight in her room. Pinching the inside of her hand, she knew this time, she was awake.

"Emma?" Jesse barely spoke, his voice dry.

Emma DeLauro, his friend and love smiled back at him.

"Yep, it's me," she began, "I had to bring you here to check on you and everyone else."

"But, Emma, you're dead," Jesse was stunned. It was getting hard to breathe.

"Jesse, there are things in play that you don't understand yet," Emma began, taking his hand and leading him down the waterway, leaving Kari standing at the shore, "Kari was supposed to come to Sanctuary, supposed to get Eckhardt out of you, and arrange this."

She turned back around to the younger Native American. Kari met her look and sat in Jesse's spot, staring at the water. Jesse instantly felt for her, resisting the urge to hug her, for the look of sadness in her eyes chilled him to his soul.

In their slumber, Jesse put both arms around her, protecting her. Kari had curled up and settled into normal sleep.

"She cares an awful lot about you,"  Emma observed, "and everyone else. She could be good for the team, but I think her path lies elsewhere."

"Yeah, she does care about all of us," Jesse sighed, looking at the water, "She's risking a lot to bring me here."

"You didn't come here alone," Emma continued,  motioning to the two figures approaching them from a distance, "She brought Brennan and Shal here too."

"All three of us? Emma, why?" Jesse asked.

"For the mission you have ahead of you, and for closure," Emma replied, "I wanted a minute before they get here. Jesse, you need to know that I loved you."

Jesse stopped for a moment. He had always suspected that, but to hear it was different.

"And I you," he said softly, turning to finally look at her.

She was still as beautiful as he first remembered her. Her eyes lit up with the admission.

"Thank you," she said as she kissed him on the lips, "I needed to tell you that."

Jesse kissed her back, then bit his lip, fighting back the tears that were surging to his eyes.

"Don't, I won't have you getting sad on me," Emma put a finger on his lips, "Jesse, you're the team now, you, Brennan, Shal and Lexa."

Jesse shook his head, his eyes reflecting the tears that he held there. Emma's eyes radiated love back to him, and she turned to greet Shalimar and Brennan, much in the same way she greeted him, smiles and hugs to Shalimar and a kiss to the cheek of Brennan.

"My friends, it is so good to see you, and sadly, for the last time," she began after a moment, "Kari can only hold me here for a short time, but I needed to say goodbye to you."

Shalimar put an arm around Jesse, one look told her that this visit was devastating him. Brennan put his hand in Shalimar's. They were as one, as they had been since Emma had left them.

"I brought you together for several reasons," Emma continued, "First, to defeat Eckhardt, Second, to protect the database."

"Which we have done," Brennan interrupted, "And you know we'll keep it up."

"I cannot predict the future, Brennan," Emma's gaze was dark, "But, Magneto is a very real enemy. Remember this. It will matter in your futures."

Shalimar nodded. Emma smiled at her.

"Third, keep the team together," Emma's gazed at all of them, "This I know will happen. Live your lives, guys, don't dwell on mine."

Jesse closed his eyes, it was hard to fight the tears. Kari came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"She's got to go," Kari said, her eyes meeting Emma's, "I'm so sorry, but it's time for her to move on."

The three nodded in near unison, and Emma faded from their shared dream.

           Shalimar awoke, her bedding  all over the room, covered in a cold sweat. She sat up and brought her knees to her chest. The dream haunted her. Emma's warnings played in her head. She had to keep the team together.

            Brennan rolled over and opened his eyes.  He was alone, and he was awake. His eyes burned at the thought of what had just happened. He had missed Emma from the moment she crossed over and had wondered what he could have done to save her. The thought crossed his mind, there was nothing he could have done, she was meant to go, it was her time.

Jesse opened his eyes to the sunlight pouring through his windows. He quickly closed his eyes again, wanting to go back to the dream, but it was far gone. He opened them again, putting a hand to them to wipe the tears away. They had stained his cheeks and soaked his pillows.

            Shiftly slightly, he looked down at the woman curled in the crook of his arm. She was finally sleeping, minus the aids of medications that he administered, and she looked peaceful at last. She had sacrificed her remaining strength to bring them the messages from Emma. He wanted to make sure she slept. If he could have given her his strength, at that moment, he would have. Gladly.

          He needed to get up, he needed to check on his friends, and he needed to process what had just happened. Was it a vivid dream, or was it a visit?