Chapter 3

Legal Disclaimer-Fireworks, Marvel and other people who should be using them aren't using the copyrights right now, so while they aren't looking...

Author's Note-Yep. She's alive. Now, this story has NOTHING to do with my earlier AU's, so Emma's very much alive, and you'll see the why in this chapter. Also, thanks to E-Bay and delayed by our friends the hurricanes (and I don't mean the football team) I finally got the first 5 discs of Mutant X, including the pilot which I have never seen. Wow. Those discs helped make what you see before you. Again, my reviewers are golden. I love you all.

Here's the next installment...

Jesse pulled his boots on and knelt to pick up the groceries. He kissed Emma's forehead and headed into the kitchen with the bag, ignoring the furious look from Shalimar. He knew it was going to be huge explanation he owed her and he wasn't ready to start talking about it. He put the groceries away, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Sorry, Emma, I don't think you're cooking tonight," he said plainly, "Pack a bag, we're going with Shalimar."

"Wait a second, you knew she was alive and you didn't tell us?" Shalimar found her voice and a raging anger that was growing in her soul, "Jesse Kilmartin get your ass back in here."

Emma DeLauro stared at Shalimar, the words forming in her brain but her mouth unable to deliver them. The anger and shock that Shalimar radiated were interfering with her controls, including the simple wave of anger and intense fear that Jesse was running on. Jesse took a deep breath, calmly walked back in, blanking his anger for Emma's sake and with crossed arms, stared at the furious feral. It took everything she had to stay in the room and not run out of it screaming.

"You want to tell her, Em, or should I?" he said, meeting her eyes.

"Maybe you should," Emma found her voice, "I don't think that I can."

"Fine then," Jesse realized that he wanted another drink, "I found her three years ago in the witness protection program. It was part of my early assignments to check on the mutants in the program, and when her name came up on the list, I was angrier than you are, Shal. Adam never told me how far his connections went. The Government was also after Mason. That's why the records at Genomax vanished so quickly."

Shalimar nodded her head. She really wanted to throttle Jesse, but now his reluctance to talk to them was beginning to make sense. Jesse had his secrets about his life, even when they first met. This was a huge secret though, but she realized that Emma's life depended on it.

"I was their contact," Emma interrupted, "I thought I was settled into this new life when Jesse rang my doorbell."

"That must have been interesting," Shalimar started toward her, "You two been together ever since?"

Jesse nodded, putting his hand into Emma's. He held Emma's hand up for Shalimar to see that they both had rings on, versions of their old comm. rings, but encrusted with diamonds.

"24 hours later she was assigned here, and three months after that," Jesse replied, "We were married."

Shalimar stopped for a second. The thought of them together, let alone married was one that was going to take time to process. This was surreal. Not only had one of her best friends surfaced alive, she was married to another best friend. If she wasn't so angry at Jesse she would have hugged them both. Sorrow started to mix with joy when she realized that they couldn't have kept Emma safe if they told the rest of them where she was. Instead, she hugged Emma.

"Wow," Shalimar's surprise was evident, "This explains a whole lot."

"Yeah, I guess it does," Emma replied, looking sideways at Jesse.

The anger had stopped but she could still feel his overwhelming frustration, mixed with an intensification of the fear he had carried around him since they had met again. He didn't want her being discovered again. He wanted her to have the peace she had sought since before they met originally and he had worked night and day in the past three years to insure that. He had given her a new chance at safety, security, and love. They had a life together, a life that was theirs. Jesse was determined to keep it that way, but the past needed to be dealt with, and Jesse was frightened and angry. She could sense that.

The look Jesse gave her was one she didn't have to read his mind to know. The mere thought of them going with Shalimar was killing him, but instinctually she knew he needed to do it. She needed to do it with him.

"They found Adam, Em, and he's asking to see us," he said softly, "Do you want to go?"

Emma glanced back at him. Her look said it all.

"Yes."

Emma kissed his hand and went into the bedroom while Jesse finished packing his emergency bag. Shalimar shook off her stunned look and glared at Jesse.

"You could have told me," she started, "Emma is my friend too. I would have kept the secret."

"She's Brennan's friend as well," Jesse replied, not looking at her, but instead at a picture on the mantle of the four of them, "She was so scared when I saw her, Shalimar, that she blasted me. Me. I fought it off, came back to the house and found her on the floor shaking. I terrified her. She actually thought that my knowing she was alive would be my death sentence. It's taken me years to build up the trust and love that we couldn't have had if I brought her to you guys. You might not understand that, but I do. She needed me and I was there. I just wish I could have been there for her earlier. Luckily, this job worked for me and helped her. I don't want her having to deal with any more secret identities, and any more lies. We both want the truth."

"Fear can blind the truth," Shalimar replied, "This part of that anger you're carrying around?"

"No, that's a whole different thing," Jesse turned back to face her, "Emma's the one thing that's keeping me sane these days, along with work. Telling you she was alive would not have been the best thing for her. She's been through too much and I won't see her go through too much more of it."

Shalimar realized then and there that good old naïve Jesse had grown up. His protective nature of Emma was something she liked seeing, but his mood was still very dark. Hopefully a change of subject would help. They needed to lighten the air. Shalimar switched to a subject that she knew he would smile about.

"Brennan's going to be awfully glad to see you," she began, "He's been talking about you guys playing ball again. He said he wants to prove that he can still beat you."

"He's gotta stop cheating," Jesse smiled, "You can't play with powers. It's just not fair. It will be good to see him though. How's the school going?"

"Great," Shalimar laughed, it felt good to see him smile, "Do you want to drive or you want me to?"

"I probably should follow you, we're starting at your place, right?" Jesse asked, "You guys moved where, outside of Fairfax?"

"Yeah," Shalimar was a little surprised. Not many people knew where she and Brennan lived these days.

He noticed her look. For her, his new life was going to take some getting used to.

"Remember who I work for, I know where everyone is," Jesse replied, his voice growing loud enough to be heard in the other room, "Emma, you packed yet?"

Emma came out of the bedroom with a small suitcase and traveling bag. The Emma that Shalimar once knew would take hours to get the perfect outfits together, so seeing her pack so fast was stunning.

"You driving?" Emma asked, handing him her suitcase.

"Yeah, I will," Jesse sighed, grabbing the car keys, "Why don't you and Shal go together so that you can catch up."

He kissed her lovingly. She returned the kiss, looking deep into his eyes.

"Done," Shalimar met his eyes, he was doing for both of them, "You ready?"

He picked up his suitcase and looked around the townhouse. Something told him this was one of the last times he would see his own version of Sanctuary far away from the sad memories of the original one.

"Yeah, Let's go," he said, following the women out into the world.