Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: I'm working on the final chapter now, so hopefully will finish it soon! Thank you to Melodie, Quadrantje, CatJerica, Mayra, Rain, Fiery Feral! I'm so glad you like the cliffhangers and plot development! Kat, welcome! I try hard to keep original ideas, but know I too am definitely influenced by things I've seen, read, or heard, especially music! Do you know the song, "You Raise Me Up," by Josh Groban? That is a huge influence for me with this story. Lucy, thank you! I'm glad you mentioned the connection to Steven, I wasn't sure if that would be clear enough or not. Glad you liked it. Thank you everyone for your feedback! I will try to post more frequently as soon as I finish the final chapter! (Just a side question, is anyone else having trouble with reviews not showing up? I seem to be having strange problems with that lately!)
Things More Beautiful—Chapter Twelve
When the world once again stood still, Brennan slowly rose to his feet. He helped Shalimar to stand, and she fiercely clung to him. They stood together, their arms around each other, staring at the deadly blazing display that set their road west afire.
A spectacular river of lava flowed from the new fissure on the flanks of the mountain. It streamed, fast and hot, down the slope to the buttresses that formed the mountain's giant feet, and then poured into the sea. Even from a mile away they could see the great clouds of steam rising from the waters below the black ramparts.
"Oh no…" Shalimar whispered, close to Brennan's chest.
"Whoever thought a second volcano would be the least of our worries?" Brennan murmured in sarcastic fear and frustration.
"What?" Shalimar pulled away from him, bewildered, and saw the direction of his gaze. With dread she followed it up to the closest ridges of the mountain, the cliffs directly above the lagoon.
The lava fountain that had erupted from the first volcano had disappeared. The last earthquake, the strongest yet, had widened a massive fissure horizontally. A long, red gash, shaped like the jagged streaks of lightening that had ripped at the summit, tore horizontally across the slope. Spilling from it was a river of molten lava. Shalimar could actually perceive the progression of the wide river as it poured down the steep slope, so hot it was the consistency of tomato soup.
Soon it would cover the beach.
Bedlam erupted behind them.
As one, Brennan and Shalimar whipped around to scan the lagoon. They saw nothing except raging two and three foot waves, topped by angry whitecaps. The front section of the pier was collapsed, tilted downward, with the unsupported end of the wooden slats in the sea. Agents that had been mingling on the end were struggling to hang on, dangling almost into the angry sea. Brennan wheeled, growled something under his breath, and pounded down the length of the pier. Shalimar ran behind him, suddenly conscious of how shaky the long wooden structure had become. Each step shook the entire length, and it wheezed and groaned in protest. Several of the pilings were leaning at crazy angles, and the floor was no longer even.
A woman screamed, long and loud. Men shouted. As Shalimar reached the end of the section of the pier that was still standing, she felt it shake so hard that for a moment, she thought it was another earthquake. But then she realized that several people had jumped onto it and were fighting at the beach end. Brennan whipped around again and swore.
"Go!" Shalimar screamed at him. "I'll help these guys, you stop the others!"
Brennan nodded tightly and turned, about to run back toward the beach, but several figures pounded down the pier right toward him. Instead he stood still, drew himself up tall and roared. "Stop!"
They didn't stop. They kept running, screaming, crying. The pier swayed and the wooden protests grew to the volume of shrill shrieks. Terrified shouts filled the air. The sea roared. Shalimar clung to a piling, watching helplessly as two women lost their grip on the slippery edges of the collapsed pier and fell screaming into the water.
Brennan stood like a rock, unmoving as the hysterical crowd drew closer. "Stop!" He tried again. "It's too dangerous for everyone to be out on the pier! We need to go back to the beach and wait for help!"
"But the lava—!"
Shalimar was vaguely aware of the panicked agents arguing with Brennan, watching with horror as four more bodies fell into the raging sea. Before anyone could move, she dove in after them.
Brennan whipped around at the splashes, realizing with panic that Shalimar was gone. Crowd forgotten, he spun around, peering desperately over the edge of the pier. He could see heads bobbing in the water, already being pulled out to sea by the current. Two women were blindly struggling with each other, pushing each other under as they tried to climb on each other's shoulders.
"Shalimar!"
Finally, he spotted her. She surfaced about ten feet from the pier, and immediately started swimming with powerful strokes toward a flailing body. Behind her, Brennan saw the first dark triangular fin swathing through the water.
"Shalimar!"
In two more strokes, she reached the woman. Crooking her right elbow under her chin, she reached out with her left hand into the water, then pulled. Even from the distance, Brennan could see the pain flash across her strained face at the great tension put onto her injured hand. He must have screamed her name again, for she glanced up at him for just a moment. He gritted his teeth in fear.
"Swim, Shal! Hurry!"
There were two fins now, crisscrossing a speeding figure eight about ten feet behind them. Shalimar swam in fierce determination, a sidestroke, pulling the woman's lax body along as if she were a leaf.
"Hurry Shalimar!" He sucked in a choking breath as she got closer.
Finally she reached the pier. He scrambled to his stomach, reached down, put his hands under her arms, and bodily lifted them both up. The woman fell unconscious from Shalimar's trembling hands, but Brennan didn't even notice, he held Shalimar and stood motionless for a moment, just trying to breathe. Her clothes were soaked, heavy, and rivers of water ran off her and down his arms, splashing cheerily on the tilted pier. He stared down into her eyes, and she looked back up at him, her eyes huge and dark.
"I had to try to help." She murmured tremulously.
His gaze grew fiery, but then his mouth tightened, and he gave a tight nod. 'You did, Shal," He choked, "You saved a woman's life."
At his words, awareness returned and she pulled abruptly from his arms, turning back to the edge of the pier.
"No, Shal!" His arms came around her from behind, holding her back.
"Brennan--!" She struggled to get free from his iron grip.
"They're gone, Shal." He whispered as they stared out at the churning waters in hopeless despair. She sagged against his chest, shoulders drooping in defeat. "Now what?"
"Now we get the rest of these people back onto the beach. All we can do now is wait."
"Jesse will come." She turned in his arms, gently placing her hands on his cheeks and tilting his head down so he'd meet her eyes. "We won't give up."
He smiled slightly at her determination, turning his head and pressing a kiss on her palm as he covered it with his own hand. "You're the strongest woman I know, Shalimar Fox." His eyes darkened in intensity. "I love you so much."
She pushed herself up on tiptoe, seeking his lips. They kissed deeply, frantically. For a brief moment, the pandemonium around them dissipated and it was just him, and it was just her, desperately lost in each other. His arms were strong around her, and her lips moved hungrily over his, drinking in his fear and his love. She gave him strength, and hope, and he clung to her, needing her.
Too soon, a dull roar tore through their brief respite, and they realized someone was screaming again. They broke apart, chests heaving as they stared into other's eyes. Another shout and the world came crashing back down upon them. Brennan's eyes flickered, narrowed, and he reluctantly turned around.
In the drama, they hadn't noticed that some of the agents had run blindly, panicky right into the beached mass of jellyfish and rockfish. Still others staggered around in the three-foot waves, sobbing and begging for help. A few huddled silently together at the end of the pier.
"Help them!" Brennan gave the curt order, strolling purposely forward, pointing to the ones flailing in the shore.
They galvanized the shocked group into action, and soon they formed an organized little huddle on the beach. Several had been stung by the poisonous fish, and lay gasping on the sand. There was little water left in the canteens, and no supplies, but they did what they could to make the injured comfortable.
Finally, Brennan sank onto the beach with a tired moan. Chester lay listlessly at his side, and he opened his arms to the tiny dog. She instantly crawled into his lap, and he noticed that her paws were bleeding, cracked from the heat and many miles of travel. She whimpered, but sat still while he examined them, carefully pouring a little bit of his canteen water over them as he whispered soothingly to her. Shalimar dropped down beside them, and his eyebrows rose in surprise at the look of concern on her face as she rubbed Chester's head comfortingly. She noticed his gaze and shrugged, pulling her hand away.
"What I wouldn't give for a change of clothes right now." She changed the subject.
Despite their situation, he smiled in secret satisfaction as he wrapped one arm around Shalimar, pulling her against his side while keeping Chester tucked under his other arm. He'd get them to like each other yet.
"You know what I miss?" Shalimar continued with a sigh.
"What's that?" He pressed a kiss into her dusty hair.
"Soap. Clean, fresh-smelling soap."
He smiled against her hair. They had lost everything in the fire, so had nothing but the clothes on their backs.
"What do you miss the most?" She nudged him gently, continuing their mundane conversation, anything to keep her mind off the raging lava washing closer and closer.
His face took on a longing note, and she watched him with curiosity. "Bren?"
"Pink hearts."
"What?"
"I'll miss those pink hearts the most." His voice was almost comically devastated.
Her laughter shook her shoulders, rising above them, an unreal sound in the despairing situation. It was infectious, and he laughed as well, tightening his arm around her as her voice took on a hysterical tinge. Tears welled in both their eyes as they stared at each other.
We have to find a way to survive this. His hand cupped her cheek, large thumb brushing the wetness from her eyes, even as she did the same to him. Her lips curved in silent understanding.
We will.
She leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss before settling back down at his side, resting her head on his shoulder.
They waited in silence, holding each other until Shalimar's head lifted, a slight growl escaping her lips.
"Shal?"
"He's awake."
He following her gaze to see Jimmy struggling to open his eyes, chest rising and falling as he coughed fitfully.
She stood up, walking over to him. Brennan quickly followed, keeping Chester under his arm.
"I want some answers." She crossed her arms as she stood over him.
Jimmy turned his face away, expression stony.
Brennan squatted down beside him. "I advise you answer." His tone was deliberately calm.
A flicker of fear showed in the man's eyes.
"It doesn't stabilize, does it?" Shalimar spoke again, matching Brennan's pace.
He didn't answer.
"Tell us what it does." Brennan glared at him.
"No—nothing." Jimmy stared up at them defiantly.
"So you wouldn't object to us giving you an injection right now?"
His eyes widened.
"That's what I thought." Shalimar pressed a boot into his neck. "What does it do?"
He began to cough harshly.
"Shal—"
She waved Brennan quiet, keeping pressure on Jimmy's windpipe. "You didn't just betray yourself, you betrayed all of us. You're a mutant yourself, how could you do it?"
He started to thrash, eyes bulging. She released the pressure, and he gulped greedily for air.
"Answer the question." Brennan prompted again, voice hard. "What does it do?"
"Stabilize." He finally whispered.
"You're lying." Shalimar dropped to her knees beside him with a growl.
"No!" His voice cracked in fear. "It stabilizes."
Brennan and Shalimar exchanged hopeful glances. Maybe it could be used after all.
"Then why are you afraid of it?" Shalimar turned her gaze back onto Jimmy, brows furrowed suspiciously.
"It does stabilize," He insisted again, coughing weakly.
"But?"
His eyes fell shut in defeat. "But you're dependent on it. You need regular doses to survive."
"So?" Brennan shrugged, not understanding.
Jimmy turned his face away from them, his voice barely heard. "It comes with a price. Whoever controls the serum, controls the mutant."
Shalimar's eyes narrowed. "So this is all about power."
"What happened to Riley?" Brennan forced Jimmy's face back toward them.
Jimmy tore his chin loose, glaring at them. "He was being punished for not cooperating. Luka withheld the serum, and he went crazy."
Brennan frowned, standing back up and gesturing Shalimar back over to him.
"What do you think?" She stared up into his face.
"I think he's telling the truth."
She nodded, chewing her lip in thought, eyes flickering over his shoulder to the encroaching lava flow. He saw the fear in her expression and turned around to look as well.
"If we make it off this island, Brennan, maybe we can use the serum after all. If the Dominion no longer has access to it—"
"Shal." Brennan placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her away from the formidable sight. "Something doesn't feel right about this."
"We're about to be swallowed by burning lava, nothing is right at the moment." Her voice was harsher than she intended.
"Shal—"
Her hand suddenly flew out, clenching his arm and stopping him. "Brennan, look!"
He followed her trembling finger and blinked. The night was black, and for a moment he saw nothing. But then he saw it. Beyond the reef floated a round, weak orange-yellow globe of light. He sucked in a deep breath.
It was a ship.
"Brennan!" Shalimar urgently shook his arm. "We've got to signal them. I don't think they can see us. They've got to be at least a mile past the reef."
Brennan's gaze turned sharply back to the water. The glob of light was faint, bouncing across the lagoon. "You're right," He murmured, "I can't believe I didn't think of that before...we should have been prepared…" He whirled around to the others in the small group. "Signal!" He shouted, rousing them, "What can we use to signal the ship?"
Murmurs arose from the group. Brennan ran frantically from one to the other. "We have to hurry! We need a signal!"
A hand flew out and latched onto him as he brushed by the edge of the group, and he turned impatiently, freezing when he saw who stood before him.
Riley.
He stared mutely in shock, faintly hearing Shalimar gasp somewhere behind him as Riley held out a shaking hand, flames flickering from his fingertips. Brennan wrenched himself away from the man's grasp, stumbling back a few feet.
Riley's mouth trembled. He stared first at Brennan, then at Shalimar. His amber eyes were drawn inexorably back to Brennan's face. "Serum." He whispered pitifully. His face suddenly contorted with pain, the blood draining from it and leaving it a sickly white mask. The flames died from his fingers as he clutched his chest, coughing wrackingly and collapsed. Brennan stared in frozen shock for a moment, legs shaking beneath him. He died in the fire. I saw the wall explode on him…
"Brennan!" Shalimar's scream finally roused him, and he turned toward her, taking in her expression of horror. Now what? His eyes again followed her shaking finger out to sea, and he fell numbly, disbelievingly to his knees into the black sand.
The ship was gone.