Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: There are references to lines and to a character from episode 315, Divided Loyalties in this chapter. Sorry again that I am not able to post as frequently with this story. I am writing frantically, so hopefully can get more chapters done soon. In the meantime, here is chapter two for you! Thank you so much to Quadrantie, hybridangel04, blackpanther, mfkngst, Tikigurl293, Mayra, KT, Mari, Lady Alexandra, Fiery Feral, Cristina, Brennan's Angel, Catjerica! I can't believe you're all still with me! Thank you so much! Jessica, I haven't really thought about adding on to the Dream series, but I guess you never know! :) Thank you for your words of encouragement! This story is a huge challenge for me to write in several ways. I normally rely heavily on nature for part of my plot, and this one will be set in Sanctuary (although I couldn't resist getting them out occasionally), so that's different for me. There is also not exactly a traditional plot to this story, much is set in the mind and heart. As my beta reader commented, this is going to be a hard one to write. So I am honestly not sure how it will turn out! As with the first two stories in this series, I will be focusing on emotion. I've explored angst and tension, then physical and emotional limits, and now with this one it will explore belief and trust. As always, I will also try to maintain a balance of humor and romance along with the more dramatic parts. It may be confusing at times, but please bear with me. I hope I can make it all work out in the end! Yikes! But anyway, thank you so much for everything!
All Things—Chapter Two
"You're late."
Brennan and Shalimar exchanged a quick glance.
"Sorry, we were a little busy this morning."
The man's eyebrow rose at the faint blush that spread high across the woman's face. "Busy, huh?" He smirked knowingly.
"What have you got for us?" Shalimar stared disdainfully at the man until he squirmed in his seat.
"You must be Shalimar."
She nodded slightly.
His eyes roamed unashamedly. "I heard you were hot and ah, feisty."
Shalimar's hand shot out and stilled Brennan as he made to rise in his chair. "What do you have for us?"
"Alright," The man raised his hands in concession, seeing the hard glint in her eyes. "Here." He glanced around the small cafe before pulling a crumpled envelope out of his pocket and throwing it on the table. "Nice doing business with you." He pushed his chair back and sauntered away.
"Hey!" Brennan hollered after him.
The man turned around in question.
"That's it? You insist on a personal meet for this?" Brennan gestured at the envelope.
"It's all there." The man turned back around and disappeared out the door.
"Well that was disappointing."
Brennan smiled at Shalimar's tone. "Lexa did say she would give us the easy jobs for a little while."
"Yeah, easy, not boring." Shalimar grumbled as she leaned an elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hand. She absently flexed her other hand in front of her, eyes roving the room.
"How's the hand?" Brennan watched as she formed a fist and then spread her fingers again. Just a few weeks ago, she hadn't been able to do that very well. The therapy she fought so hard against was starting to pay off.
"It's fine." She dropped her hand on her lap under the table, smiling when he frowned at the action. "I'm not hiding it, Brennan."
He glanced up, startled she could read him so easily, shrugging at her grin. "You know, Shal, Jesse and Lexa aren't expecting us back for a few more hours."
Her grin widened. "What do you have in mind?"
An hour later, Shalimar glared at Brennan's back as she wrapped her arms around him. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind, Brennan."
"Come on, Shal. Live a little."
Shalimar shook her head at his merry tone. "What's wrong with this picture?"
"What?" His teeth flashed white as he grinned at her over his shoulder, competing with the bright snow surrounding them.
"You miss your motorcycle, don't you?"
"It's the next best thing." He revved the engine.
"I knew I should have been worried when you didn't seem to mind putting it in storage for the winter."
"Hang on, Shal—" The wind stole the rest of his words as they suddenly shot forward.
She shrieked and tightened her grip around his waist, gasping at the sudden rush of cold and adrenaline. The snowmobile roared loudly in the winter air, whining as they picked up speed, the vibration knocking her teeth together. Bits of snow and ice flew at her, and she buried her face in Brennan's back, reveling in the roll of muscle as his hands smoothly changed their grip. He was laughing, and she laughed with him. It had been a long time since she felt so carefree. The sun arched high across the sky as afternoon approached, but its weak rays did little to warm the air. Only criss-crossing tracks marred the endless fields of white surrounding them, and time disappeared as they flew along the pristine path.
Brennan loved the feel of Shalimar's hands digging into his sides, her small frame pressing into his back. Even with the roar of the engine, he could hear her small gasps of delight as she rested her head on his shoulder, lips occasionally brushing against his ear as the snowmobile bounced them around. It reminded him of that morning, when she had so irresistibly teased him. He was amazed that she could reduce him to a quivering mass of jelly with only a touch. No woman had ever affected him the way she did. He didn't deserve her, but he would never let her go. She was the most beautiful thing in his life, and he was damned if anything would take her away. She was his, and he was hers.
"Brennan!"
Her voice in his ear broke into his thoughts, and he was startled to see a tree looming in his vision, rushing toward them.
"Wha—" He jerked the sled to the right, wincing as the sudden jolt cut off his words and caused him to bite down hard on his tongue. Behind him, Shalimar grunted as they scraped by the trunk of the tree, shoulders cringing as metal squealed and protested. Brennan squeezed hard on the brakes, and they slammed to a stop. The engine roared one final time, and then sputtered and died. The sudden silence was loud in Shalimar's pounding ears, and she tentatively released her grip on Brennan.
Simultaneously they both leaned over to the left, eyebrows rising comically together as they took in the deep scrape along the front side of the sled.
Neither spoke for a moment.
"Hey Shal?"
"Uh-huh."
"How do you feel about bringing this thing home with us?"
She released her breath with a laugh. "I think the salesman will kill us if you don't."
"No he wouldn't."
"Yeah he would."
"Nah, you'd kick his ass first."
They exchanged a smile, and Shalimar shook her head, groaning as she pushed herself off the snowmobile. Stiffness from the cold had set in, and she bounced on the balls of her feet, blowing on her fingers to warm them up as she watched Brennan bend over to inspect the sled.
"Nice work."
He shrugged sheepishly as he ran his fingers over the damage. "I can fix it, no problem."
"Uh-huh." She stared pointedly at him as he climbed back on the sled. "Hey Bren."
"Yeah?"
"I'm driving."
He didn't move.
She narrowed her eyes. "Brennan?"
His fingers tightened their grip imperceptively on the sled as he still didn't move.
That did it. Toes dug into the ground, and then she flew, airborne for one perfect moment before she tackled him. A surprised omphfrumbled in his chest as they ended up tumbling over the sled and rolling through the snow. Arms and limbs tangled together, and then they lay still. Brown eyes stared down at her in shock. She blinked to get her bearings, watching the quick concern etch across Brennan's face before she raised one perfectly-shaped brow upward in triumph. His eyes widened, but he recovered quickly, trying to roll them, but she stayed tight. Fingers dug into his shoulders, savoring the warmth of him as he pressed her into the snow. He tried to ease up on his elbows to absorb some of his weight, but his hands only pushed through the deep snow, and he sank heavily against her. He smirked.
"Who's got who now?"
Her smile widened. "Oh I think I've got you right where I want you." She pulled his head down with one hand, kissing him, slowly, then more deeply. His body shifted as he inched closer yet, and his hands cupped her shoulders, fingers searing her though her coat, even as the cold dug into her lower back. Sensation flooded her and then suddenly he managed to roll them, and she was on top. Air rushed now against her back and her fingers trailed down his chest, fisting his shirt as their mouths continued their dance. Her fingers moved again, slowly inching downward and with a quick dash, she stole the keys right out from him. His jaw dropped open for a moment as she grinned against his lips.
"Like I said, right where I want you." She sat up, still straddling his chest as he calmly watched her dangle the keys above his nose. "I'm driving."
He moved faster than she would have thought he could, and before she could fully close her fingers around her keys, she found herself thrown over Brennan's shoulder.
"Hey!"
"Give me the keys."
"No." She stubbornly tightened her fingers around them.
He started walking, ignoring her squeals of protest.
"Brennan!" She twisted in his arms.
"Gonna give me the keys?"
"No!"
He clucked his tongue and shook his head, resuming walking.
"Come on, Bren." She tried a new tactic, admiring the view as she dangled over his shoulder. She hadn't seen him from this angle before, it was quite…interesting. She grinned.
He paused to shift her slight weight. "Keys?"
"Nope."
He circled around the snowmobile.
She gave another half-hearted kick.
He headed for the tree next.
She changed tactics again, hands reaching down. What did he say about kicking ass? He jumped higher than she thought he would have, yelping loudly as she dissolved into laughter. His head shook in chagrin, swinging her back around and into a tight hug, arms wrapped around her body. She folded her arms around his neck, her laughter infectious as he finally gave in and laughed with her.
The keys poked out from between her clenched fingers.
She was still driving
The ride was glorious, and another hour passed before finally, reluctantly, Shalimar eased them back into the sales lot, parking with a final quick flourish. Snow spun, drenching them in tiny crystalline flakes that whirled and danced back into the air as they squealed to a stop. She had a slight headache from the cold, but she didn't care. It had been worth it.
Brennan watched appreciatively as Shalimar turned toward him, eyes sparkling and tangled blonde curls brought to life by the wind. He couldn't resist her.
She gave a small squeak of surprise when his lips suddenly captured hers before melting against him, arms circling around his neck. His lips were cold as they moved gently over hers, his body warm as he bent over her, effectively blocking her off from the wind. He panted slightly when he finally pulled back, eyes caressing her, groaning as he pulled her into a deep hug.
"I love you, Shal."
She smiled, hands moving to frame his face. "I love you too." Her voice was whisper soft, fingers running over his smooth cheeks, wanting to remember the moment. His eyes closed for a moment, leaning into her touch before opening again, latching onto hers; her touch triggering a memory that flickered deep within their brown depths. A shiver ran down her spine as she sensed his shift in emotion, lips curving into a slightly predatory look. Eyes glowed for just a brief moment, knowing exactly what it did to him, loving his rasping breath as he claimed her lips again.
"First time I see you in months and you're still getting more tail than me!"
They broke apart in surprise as a figure stood over them. Shalimar stiffened even as Brennan's face broke into a pleased grin and he jumped up from the sled.
"Cole!"
The two men hugged, slapping each other on the back.
"More tail?" Shalimar's eyebrows rose as she stood to her feet.
"Cole," Brennan spoke quickly as he stepped back and put his arm around her. "This is Shalimar."
"I've heard all about you." Shalimar dryly commented, holding out her hand, not missing the congratulatory look he shot Brennan as he shook her hand.
"Good job, Buddy."
She growled lowly in her throat in disapproval, feeling her headache come back full force.
"So," Brennan hastily cleared his throat, "What are you doing here, man?"
"Are you kidding?" Cole's eyes lit up. "There's a huge race today. We're gonna go across the ice."
Shalimar's lips flattened, knowing exactly where this was headed. She bit back a retort even as Cole's predictive words rang out, moodily rubbing her brow as it started to throb.
"Just like old times, huh Brennan?"
"Not today, Cole." Brennan clapped his shoulder apologetically, turning him down. The man took the hint, bidding them farewell after a few more minutes. Brennan laughed after Cole as he hurried away, hand raised in good-bye.
It started out as a low roar in her ears, and then a pounding in her head. Brennan was talking, but his words were muted as her vision blurred and the line between thought and reality suddenly disappeared. Instinct and logic warred within her, and stark fear rose until the feeling threatened to overwhelm her. She didn't understand what was happening. She blinked, and Brennan's face reappeared in her sight. He was still talking, mere seconds of confusion he hadn't even noticed. He didn't notice. Somehow the thought hurt. She pressed closer to him, but his eyes were turned away, still watching Cole. Shalimar didn't miss the slight look of longing that flashed across Brennan's face as his friend disappeared from sight. A chill hit her as she stood next to him, and she wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. The wind blew suddenly, fiercely, blinding her, trapping her in a wall of winter white. She was alone. A dull throbbing echoed in her head, and snowflakes that had seemed so merry just moments before now bit and stung her skin in unforgiving bitterness. Panic, terrible panic struck her as the wall of white bore down, closing her in. She couldn't breathe. Just as suddenly, the envelope from that morning's meet seemed to burn from within her pocket and, confused, she gasped at the heat, wrenching it out of her jacket and throwing it on the ground.
She blinked, and just as unexpectedly, the wind died down, snow dissipating into the air as bright sun again shone down upon them. Seconds of blowing snow that terrified her. Shalimar backed into Brennan and tensed, her breathing fast and shallow. Her pulse throbbed in her throat. What was this feeling lurking deep within? Fear. Nightmare. She couldn't move, she didn't dare. But she had to.
"You ok, Shal?" Brennan's hand fell on her in concern.
It was cold and heavy.
"Yeah." She swallowed tightly, forcing her eyes up to his. "Just take me home, Brennan."
She walked away before he could reply, his quizzical gaze boring into her back.
"Shalimar?" He bent to retrieve the envelope.
She increased her steps. She didn't understand it, but she had to get away.
Clouds, heavy with snow, began drifting in, casting a gray pallor over the sky. Trees huddled in resignation, and the wind let out a lowly wail.
And the snow began to fall.