Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: Thank you so much for your feedback! I'm working on chapter 8 now, so I'm slowly figuring the story out. Thank you Lady Alexandra, Garfieldlady, Mfkngst, Fiery Feral (cliffhanger…what's a cliffhanger? Evil laugh!), Quadrantje, KT (can't you just picture trees huddling in the wind if they could, lol!), Lauren13 (I'm honored!), Jessica. You comments mean so much to me! Mayra, thank you! I hope so! :) Here's chapter three for you, I'll try to get four up by the weekend. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I hope you enjoy it!
All Things—Chapter Three
And the snow continued to fall. Into the night it fell, thick and heavy, until the trees of the forest fairly groaned, branches bent low from their heavy load. All color from the mountain disappeared, only stark white visible as far as the eye could see.
They were snowed in.
For all of the miraculous and technological wonders of Sanctuary, six feet of snow brought them to a grinding halt. After much shoveling and a little swearing, Brennan and Jesse had managed to unearth the door, and as the sun finally came back out, the snow began to settle and compact.
"How you feeling, Shal?" Brennan called as he noticed her watching them from the doorway. He paused to catch his breath, leaning on the shovel. He was worried about her. She had been quiet all night, and had woken up with a pinched look in her eyes that disturbed him. She promised him she wasn't hiding anything from him, that she just had a headache, but he had seen the slight aversion of her eyes from his as she spoke. His stomach knotted in anxiety.
"I'm fine." She smiled as she spoke, and indeed she did look better, he conceded as he took in her relaxed expression. "You about done?" She peered over his shoulder at Jesse as he continued to work.
"Just about, Shalimar." Jesse's head popped up from behind the snowbank that nearly hid him from view. "No thanks to Brennan, here." Jesse threw a shovelful of snow at Brennan.
"Hey!" Brennan whirled around, but Jesse had wisely dunked back down from view.
"Did you need something?" Jesse's voice floated back as he continued his conversation with Shalimar.
Brennan shook his head, plunging his shovel into the snow and tossing it over the bank. Dull thuds could be heard as chunks of snow and ice made contact.
"If you boys are about done, I think someone really needs to go out." Shalimar chuckled as Jesse's head again reappeared, brows furrowed in concern.
"Lexa?"
"Not unless she's no longer housebroken." Brennan chortled as he noticed Chester waiting impatiently at Shalimar's feet; leaning back just in time to avoid another flying clump of snow hurled his way.
"Seriously, Brennan," Shalimar pointed to the little dog at her feet. "Look at her."
Brennan couldn't help but laugh as he took in the miserable look on Chester's face as she stared at the towering snowbanks with dismay. "She does look a little desperate." He dropped his shovel and walked through the open doorway, stomping his feet. "Hey." He greeted Shalimar with a gentle kiss, dipping his head down to study her eyes.
"Hey," She smiled up at him. "I thought I'd take her for a quick walk." She held up the leash. "The snow is over her head, I don't want her to sink down and get into trouble."
"You know, Shal." Brennan caught her arm as she stepped past him, eyes twinkling. "The snow is over your head too."
She stopped short as she stepped outside, seeing he spoke the truth. Other than the cleared path by the door, the snow was a dense, compacted wall, easily spanning higher than her diminutive height.
She suddenly felt very short.
"It's not funny." She swatted Brennan's chest as he grinned down at her.
"Can't help it, you look so cute standing there."
She rolled her eyes at his enjoyment of the situation. "You want to take Chester out then?"
"I don't think it's necessary anymore." Brennan grimaced as the dog did her business by his feet and scampered back into the warmth of Sanctuary. He picked up the shovel again and dropped a clump of snow, hiding the evidence. "Don't tell Jesse." He waggled his eyebrows at Shalimar as she shook her head. She walked past him, running her fingers along the snow, taking it all in.
"How long do you think it will last?" She swallowed as a hint of fear rose up in her throat, sickening her with its vile taste. White walls. She shuddered, abruptly turning on her heel and backing into Brennan.
He was still chuckling, having missed her expression. His arms rose up and circled around her, pulling her back against his chest. "I don't know. But you'd better be careful." He dropped a kiss on her hair, resting his chin on her head. "Can't have you getting lost out there."
Lost. She forced a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. For some reason, the word haunted her. Lost.
"Come on, you two!" Jesse's amused voice startled her. "You going to just stand there in the cold all day long?"
Brennan snorted as he turned, keeping an arm loosely around her shoulders as he kicked a mound of snow in Jesse's direction.
Jesse watched them as they dunked after him back into Sanctuary, closing the door behind them and cutting off the cold blast of wind. "So what do you guys want to do today?" He sank down on a nearby bench and began to unlace his boots.
"Something warm." Brennan grunted as he plopped down next to him, rubbing his cold hands together for a moment before bending over to work on his own boots. Shalimar leaned against the wall, waiting for them.
"Yeah." Jesse murmured in agreement, straining to pull off his tight boots. "In front of the fireplace sure sounds like a nice place to be right now."
"With hot coffee," Brennan added longingly, tugging on a stubborn knot in his frozen laces.
"And Lexa."
"Or Shalimar."
The two men paused in sudden awareness.
There were only two comfortable chairs by the fireplace.
With studied casualness, Brennan gave up on the frozen knots and tried to pull the boot off instead with both hands. Beside him, Jesse did the same. They glanced at each other occasionally, finally giving up all pretenses and openly rushing to remove their clunky boots. They strained in silence for a moment as Shalimar watched on with amusement.
Jesse grinned as one boot finally popped off and he tugged on the other. Brennan pressed his lips together and pulled harder, exclaiming in triumph when he got one of his off. They glanced at each other again, pulling harder.
"To hell with it!" Jesse suddenly lunged to his feet, racing down the hallway, his gait crooked as he ran with one boot still on.
"Hey!" Brennan rushed after him, tripping over his laces in his haste and stumbling a few feet before catching himself on the wall and running after him.
Shalimar laughed outright as they disappeared around the corner, pushing against each other as they slipped and ran toward the main living area of Sanctuary. The garage fell quiet. She was alone. She tensed, glancing around, but only saw and heard the familiar comforts of her home. She smiled, relieved, pushing off the wall and following the trail of muddy footprints. She heard faint voices coming from Lexa's office, and she paused by the closed door, listening for a moment. The way Lexa spoke, with long pauses between short answers, told Shalimar that she was on a conference call. She poked her head into the doorway, but stopped when she saw the shadowy figure of Lexa's Dominion contact on her computer. The envelope from yesterday's meet rested under her tapping fingers, and Lexa's back was turned, so Shalimar eased back, softly closing the door back behind her. She didn't want to get dragged into another boring meet, not on a day like today. She felt foolish now as she remembered her reaction to the envelope, to the blowing snow, and was glad no one had noticed. She padded back down the hallway, back in her pursuit of the guys.
Although it was cold outside, the world caught in winter's frozen grip, inside Sanctuary, it was warm and cozy, and the day passed in lazy relaxation. After a bit of a debate, they had finally compromised on the seating arrangements. The fireplace was a recent addition, a luxury they had decided to splurge on one cold day last spring, and it had been tucked back into the corner of the Rec Room, a couple of overstuffed chairs circled around it.
Jesse pressed his back against the soft cushion, fingers closed around a steaming cup of coffee, stocking feet propped up next to the warm flames. With Shalimar's fear of fire, Adam had never had one built, but she had worked hard over the years to conquer that fear, and had insisted they finally put one in. He propped open one eye, smiling at Brennan and Shalimar as they shared the chair across from him. Brennan had his own long legs stretched toward the fire, arms loosely circling Shalimar as she sprawled across his lap, legs dangling over the arm of the chair. He could tell she slept, cheek resting against Brennan's chest. They didn't talk much about their recent ordeal, but it was impossible not to notice their new closeness. While they had always been joined at the hip, there was a new vulnerability to their love, a tenderness they had not shown before. They were two of the strongest people he knew, but together, he shook his head, they were a formidable team Kind of like him and Lexa. He grinned at the thought of the dark-haired vixen, hoping she would join them soon.
"Hey, Jess?"
Jesse's eyes opened at the soft whisper to see Brennan looking at him, face conflicted.
"What's up?" He kept his voice equally soft, for Shalimar still slept.
"How'd Shalimar's last scans look?"
Jesse raised his brows at the question. "Fine, why?"
Brennan dropped his eyes back down to study the feral's sleeping face. "When did you last examine her?"
"Two days ago." He sat up straighter in the chair. "Why, Brennan, what's wrong?"
Brennan brushed the back of his knuckles against her cheek, thinking. "There was no trace of the serum?"
"No."
Brennan blew out a quiet breath as Jesse waited for him to explain. "Hey Jess?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you—could you check her again?" Brennan didn't look up.
Jesse waited, but Brennan didn't say anything more. "Yeah, I can do that." He didn't miss the look of relief that flashed across his face. "She won't like it, you know."
Brennan smiled, arms tightening slightly. "I know."
"Ok, consider it done."
"Thanks, man."
"No problem." Jesse sank back down in his chair again. "But you can be the one to tell her."
Brennan chuckled, the movement causing Shalimar to stir awake. She yawned and stretched, lifting her face off Brennan's chest. She blinked, casting Jesse a sleepy smile before faltering slightly. He was looking at her strangely.
"Jesse?"
He shook himself, and she sensed his purposeful evasion. She quickly turned to look at Brennan and saw the same expression on his face. They were hiding something from her. "What's going on?"
"Nothing." Jesse turned his head away, looking across the room. "I was just wondering where Lexa is."
"I saw her working earlier." She spoke slowly, watching him still.
Jesse rolled his eyes. "That woman needs to learn the meaning of a snow day."
"I heard that!"
Lexa's voice interrupted them as she hollered from across the room, arms crossed as she entered.
"There you are." Jesse's look invited her to join them.
"You know, it wouldn't hurt you to get out of that chair sometime today." Lexa's smile betrayed her tone.
Jesse grinned. "What was it you once told me? All work and no play?"
She rolled her eyes, sinking down on the arm of the chair, leaning over and whispering something in his ear that caused his face to turn bright red.
Shalimar turned away from the scene, musing how the atmosphere around Sanctuary had changed now that they were coupled off. Her feral hearing could easily pick up their whispered words, and she cleared her throat in reminder. Some things she just didn't want to know. Brennan's fingers landed on her cheek, stroking down the side, and he smiled tenderly at her. She raised her own fingers to see what amused him and realized that while she slept, the textured pattern of his shirt had been imprinted into her cheek. Brennan's grin widened, and he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, hinting of hidden passion just below the surface. She shivered, promising herself she would explore that feeling soon. Her disorientation when she first woke up disappeared, and she relaxed in Brennan's arms. Time spent all together was rare, and she was determined to fully enjoy it.
"So Lexa," Brennan's chest rumbled pleasantly beneath her ear as he spoke, "Did you get anything helpful out of that envelope from yesterday's meet?"
"Not much," Lexa shrugged, "It's not a high priority, so I'll follow up on it later."
"What did your contact say?" Shalimar spoke up as she treaded her fingers through Brennan's. She threw him a quick smile over her shoulder as he squeezed her fingers back.
"I haven't talked to him for a while." Lexa leaned back in the chair as Jesse pulled her closer.
Shalimar's stomach twisted. "You didn't talk to him today?"
"No," Lexa's gray blue eyes stared into hers.
Her head started to throb again, a slow, dull ache that started from deep within. She struggled to her feet, feigning a casualness she didn't feel when Brennan looked at her in surprise. "I think I'll go for a run before supper. I—I could use some air."
Brennan started to get up. "I'll come with you."
She stilled his movements with a firm hand on his shoulder. "No, Brennan. You stay here, relax. I think I'd like some time alone." She bent down and pressed her cheek to his for a brief moment, brushing her lips against his. "I'll be back soon."
She felt his eyes follow her, but he didn't say anything more. She forced herself to walk normally across the room and into the hallway, breaking into a run as soon as she rounded the corner. Her breath felt constricted, and she burst through the ground level door, stopping to gasp in great gulps of cold air, hands pressed to her temple as it continued to throb. What was going on? A yapping bark startled her, and she jumped, heart pounding, laughing shakily as Chester shot past her, running.
"Chester!" She ran after the little dog, afraid she would get stuck in the deep snow. The sun had melted the snow into compact ground cover, and while it squeaked and protested at every step, it held their weight. Relieved, she stopped, watching the little dog play in the dim light. Softly scented pine drifted on the breeze, and she closed her eyes, breathing deeply, willing the ache to leave her. Everything was fine, she was just tired. She was home, everything was good. Her fingers clenched white at her throat as a twig snapped. Chester suddenly growled low in her throat, and Shalimar whirled around, eyes glowing, searching. The setting sun slid behind a cloud, and the forest cast long shadows, each one moving as trees swayed in the breeze and snow fell from their branches. Crunch Crunch. Snow sounded behind her, and she whirled again. Still nothing. Chester again growled and then suddenly took off running.
"Chester!" She yelled again after the little dog, taking two steps to follow when she jerked to a sudden stop, as if hitting a brick wall. She was being watched. She could sense something out there. Her pulse hammered in her throat, and she stifled a frustrated cry. That feeling was back. Her head suddenly throbbed violently, and she dropped to her knees, clutching her head, heart pounding at something lurking deep in her subconscious. Fear. Déjà vu. She rocked on her heels, drowning in the feeling of prey, of eyes searching for her, of something circling, circling, looking to strike. Something deep within rose up, raw, primal. Her mind need not engage beyond the command to run. Move, she told her legs. But they wouldn't. She was supposed to be the hunter. What was this feeling? Her knuckles grew white.
Something wet touched her, and she jumped, jerking savagely, shaking when she realized it was only Chester, pink tongue lolling to the side as she panting for breath. Chester She dug her fingers into the little dog's fur, grounding herself in the touch, the feel of reality. The dog licked her face, and she blinked, laughing at herself as she suddenly felt foolish for her fear. What was she thinking? She was at Sanctuary. She was strong. She was fine. She hugged the little dog to her chest as she stood back up, ignoring the weakness in her knees and turning to walk back when she froze, a frustrated cry tearing from her lips.
Her footsteps were visible in the snow, marking her trail from Sanctuary to the forest edge, Chester's prints right next to hers. That she understood. She started to tremble as her eyes raked further across the snow. Those she didn't understand.
Deep and deliberate, circling around her kneeling position in the snow, was a third set of footprints.