THE CHOICES WE MAKE

Summary: A year ago Emma made the choice to join Mutant X, but recently things have been playing on her mind. When events heat up after an attack, what happens when hearts start dictating choices over heads? Both she and the rest of Mutant X may have some tough decisions to make.

Rating: I am giving this story a PG-13 rating to be on the safe side for now, but I may increase that depending on where my imagination takes me.

Disclaimer: The Mutant X characters and original theme do not belong to me (unfortunately!) I own this idea but no profit has been made from this story.

Authors note: This is basically a pre-story warning. I love all of the characters of Mutant X but although I think Brennan and Shalimar are great together in the show, I am afraid I have been a Brennan and Emma shipper since I saw the connection in the first two episodes, before they joined the team. So sorry guys, please don't flame me but this is my story and I control the characters. I therefore advise anyone with very strong aversions to a Brennan/Emma pairing to read no further... you have been warned! Otherwise, I really appreciate anyone taking the time to review my work, as this is my first story, thanks for your support. : )

"To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing."

Emma DeLauro sat in the crowded bar, deep in thought. The music was loud so the voices around her were raised even louder to compensate. People moved around, getting drinks from the bar, moving to the dance floor or simply trying to find a quiet spot to hold a conversation (an impossible task.) Emma ignored them all as she twisted the ring on her finger and contemplated how much this simple silver band had come to mean to her. But that was the point, she thought, the ring might have looked simple but it was anything but. The highly complicated communications device somehow reflected the complicated nature of her feelings tonight. She couldn't help it, something had been playing on her mind recently, or perhaps that should be someone.

She had been with Mutant X for nearly a year now she realized. It would be a full year next week since she had received the honour of membership to this most elite team, at the ceremony where Shalimar had presented her ring to her. However, it wasn't that event which was playing on Emma's mind now, today was quite a different anniversary for her. A year ago today she had met Brennan.

Emma took a sip of her drink and sighed. Why did she always get a strange feel ing in her stomach when she thought about him? She couldn't explain why she regarded her relationship with him with so much more complication than the others. She was close to all the team; Jesse Kilmartin was sweet and looked after her like a brother; Adam had become a sort of father figure for them all; Shalimar Fox she perhaps regarded as her best friend. Maybe simply because they was the only two females on the team, but Emma and Shalimar had quickly formed a close relationship, after all, Shalimar pointed out soon after Emma had joined the team, there are some things that you can only really share with other girls. But Brennan Mulwray was a different matter. They were friends, sure, close friends for that matter, but Emma had never felt as relaxed around him as she was with Jesse. She seemed to argue more with Brennan as well, she thought, and not so much in the playful way she did with the others.

She looked over her shoulder. Shalimar, easy to spot a mile off, was dancing exuberantly with a tall blond man whose grin Emma could see from the bar. 'He must think this is his lucky night,' Emma thought, amused, as she watched the feral rub seductively against her partner- the poor man didn't stand a chance.

A little further over she spotted object of her musings. Brennan, dancing with some blonde girl in a way that definitely caused Emma a pang. Still she couldn't help but stare at him, that tall gorgeous body, muscles clearly accented by the tight leather pants and thin black shirt he was wearing. As she watched his hands moved up the body of the blonde girl and he bent his head towards her. Emma's stomach gave a turn as they started making out and she quickly turned away for the scene.

Her eyes fell then upon Jesse, whom, it was apparent, was definitely looking less comfortable than Shalimar and Brennan. A pair of scantly dressed women were accosting him, fluttering their lashes, thick with mascara, and clearly trying to proposition him by pressing their enhanced cleavage towards his chest. As Emma watched, she saw one of the women lean forward brazenly to whisper something in his ear. If she had hoped to secure him with whatever she said, she had clearly been mistaken- Jesse visibly jumped away from the women and hurried back to the bar over to where Emma was sitting.

She grinned as he approached her, "What, wasn't she your type Jesse?"

Jesse frowned. "The nerve of some people!" he ranted "I was actually frightened of her! She said she was going to tear of my clothes right then and there and ..." He stopped as laugh emitted from Emma.

"Sorry Jess."

"Well I'm glad you're having fun at my expense." he retorted, pretending to be hurt. Emma smiled and patted the stool next to her. Jesse sat down beside her and ordered them both another drink.

"That won't help you know" Emma said as she watched him gulp the bottle of beer that the barman had just served.

"Yeah, well what will?" Jesse asked sulkily. Emma patted his knee affectionately. Jesse was such a sweet guy, if only women would see it. She'd sometimes wished she were attracted to him herself, early on when they'd met, but he was like a brother to her now and that suited her just fine.

"Ah, don't worry Jesse, I'm sure there are plenty of nice pretty girls here for you, you're a really sweet guy." She wished she could use her mind to push a girl in Jesse's direction, but Adam had expressly forbidden them all from using their powers tonight. He had reason to suspect the GSA had increased their activity lately and they all had to be on their guard.

Jesse stared at her. "Thanks Em, that's really sweet of you, but I can't imagine a prettier girl I'd rather dance with right now than you" He smiled at her, downing the remainder of his beer and offering her his hand.

Emma considered it for a moment, 'Why not if it takes my mind off a certain tall, dark haired man I'd not be thinking about right now' she thought.

"Sure" she grinned and allowed Jesse to lead her out onto the dance floor amidst the crown of other dancing people.

They had been dancing together for a few songs and Emma's mood was definitely picking up. She laughed as he spun her around and she tripped over her own feet, nearly crashing into the couple next to them before Jesse caught her and pulled her back upright. Shalimar joined them a few moments later.

"Where's that guy you were with a moment ago" Emma shouted over the din of the music.

"I got bored" Shalimar shouted back "He wanted to go back to his place but I just want to dance tonight."

"And so another poor heart is broken" Jesse teased. The three of them continued dancing for while. At one point Emma realised that she and Shalimar had created a small audience around them as they moved together. Jesse laughed as he saw guys staring, slack-jawed, watching his two friends dance, though he doubted Shalimar was oblivious to the admirers. In fact, he thought, watching the corners of her lips curl as she grabbed Emma hands they swayed sensually, back to back, she was rising to the attention.

"Okay ladies, break it up" An amused voice broke in "You're going to give those poor guys heart failure"

"Come on Brennan," Shalimar grinned, "Emma just needs to loosen up. We can't help it if the males of our species have one track minds!" She grabbed Brennan's arms and pushed herself against him.

"That's one track we'll have to discus another time" Brennan grinned back "but I'm afraid right now we've got something else to deal with..."

Emma was glad to be distracted from watching Shalimar and Brennan in their on going and blatantly obvious flirtation.

" What's up?"

"Adam just called my comlink, he wants us back at Sanctuary within the hour."

"Did he say why?" Jesse asked looking concerned.

"Apparently he's got a lead on a new mutant the GSA have their eye on and he wants us to check out the specs tonight. We'll probably have to follow it up tomorrow."

"Okay, so we'll leave in 20 minutes?" Shalimar, who was clearly enjoying herself didn't really want the evening to end just yet.

"Okay, we'll meet out front at quarter past midnight" Jesse agreed, "That'll give Shalimar another half hour to break a few more hearts" She glared at him but didn't disagree and swept off to make the most of her precious remaining time.

Brennan grinned at Emma. "She'll be trying to corrupt you next, I'm surprised she hasn't already."

"Well she did suggest I make a tear up the side of my skirt tonight, according to Shalimar, showing leg turns men to mush."

"You should have taken her advice" Brennan's eyes glanced at over Emma's legs making her blush. "Shalimar certainly is an expert on what men want. That top she's wearing tonight... no man could refuse..." He trailed off and Emma groaned inwardly.

"Anyway, see you later Em," he said, nudging her affectionately in the arm as he made his way through the crowd, no doubt, Emma thought, going back to find the blonde girl he had been dancing with earlier.

She excused herself to Jesse and made her way to the ladies bathroom, which was situated at the back of the club. Pushing through the door she placed her hands on the sink and sighed.

Why had she been having these strange feelings lately. It didn't help that she always felt a multitude of mixed sensations in clubs. So many hormones and emotions raging, her powers gave her a buzz from the subconscious readings she would get from the people around her, they increased her feelings of yearning at the best of times. Right now, she was feeling extremely flushed, so she bent to splash her face with water. She looked up at her reflection staring back at her. She had gotten a reading off Brennan when he was looking at her, a brief feeling of lust, (which she imagined had come less from her and more from the fact that he was clearly thinking about Shalimar,) and now she couldn't get the sensation out of her head. She could feel her heart pounding as the adrenalin coursed through her body. Really, sometimes this telempathy could be a real pain. She didn't dare go back out right away. The way she was feeling she was liable to kiss the first guy she came across just to get rid of these stupid impulses running through her.

After a while she realized it must be nearly time for her to meet the others. She glanced at her watch, damn! It was already 14 minutes after midnight, and she was going to have to battle her way through the crowds to get outside. Feeling guilty that the others would probably already be waiting for her, she quickly left the ladies bathroom and began the arduous task, her small stature making it more difficult to get people to acknowledge her and let her past.

Suddenly she felt a hand grab her.

Continued in chapter 2... Let me know what you think...