Alanna growled under her breath, working through her history lesson on her laptop, and resisting the urge to pound the device flat. "Hey, need any help?" Brennan asked, looking over her shoulder. Alanna just shook her head, smiling as she looked up at the dark-haired elemental from her seat at Sanctuary's main computer hub. "Nope, just wanting to get this done as fast as I can." Brennan chuckled, "I can understand that, I hated history when I was in school." "Thanks anyway." Alanna said, turning back to her computer and typing in the last answer. "Finished. Need help on anything?" She asked hopefully as she hit the enter key.
In the three months that she had spent at Sanctuary, she found that working on cars was one of the things she liked to do. Brennan shook his head, turning around and walking back to Alanna. "Nope, I finished the tune-up on Shal's bike this morning." Alanna sighed as she got up and stretched, her feline DNA showing itself as she yawned widely, exposing her rather elongated eyeteeth. "I could use some help making dinner though." Brennan said rather hopefully. Alanna laughed, "Help doesn't define your dinners, they need a fire extinguisher after you're through with them." She said jokingly, as Brennan rolled his eyes. "You going to help or not?" He asked raising an eyebrow, "You're going to have to eat the burnt resemblance of stew if you don't." Alanna adopted a facial expression of horror momentarily before she laughingly replied, "I'll help, but you have to chop the onion." Alanna laughed at the resulting groan from Brennan.
Shalimar walked in looking a little tired and sat down at the table, yawning. Alanna looked over at Shal as she measured the last of the seasonings for the stew, pouring the spices and putting the lid on the pot. Alanna yawned herself as she sat at the table. "The kids at the safe house wear you out?" She asked with an understanding smile, leaning back into her chair. "No, just bored." Shal looked at Alanna, sniffing the air. "Smells good, beef stew?" Alanna grinned and nodded. "It'll be ready in about an hour." Shalimar nodded, a faint trace of a smile on her face. "I thought it was Brennan's turn to cook." The blonde commented, raising an eyebrow at the girl. "Brennan helped." Alanna said defensively, and sighed when Shalimar looked at her skeptically. "Ok, Brennan chopped the onion. But you know how he cooks, almost everything is burnt." Shalimar laughed softly, "I'll admit, I was a little worried about eating tonight's supper."
Alanna laughed, getting up and stirring the stew. Jesse walked in, taking a seat at the table across from Shal. "So did you find that name?" She asked offhandedly as she stirred. Jesse shook his head, "Nope. I'm hoping to have it by tomorrow morning." Alanna sighed, wishing Adam would let her accompany them. "You think Adam will let me go this time?" Alanna asked hopefully. Jesse and Shal shook their heads. "I don't think he will for at least a year." Jesse stated as Emma walked in with Brennan. "Won't what for a year?" Brennan asked. "Let me go with you guys." Alanna responded, looking a little frustrated. "Have time for some meditation?" Emma asked, obviously hinting at a positive answer, so Alanna nodded and put down the spoon and replaced the lid. -: Why won't Adam let me help? : - She asked, using her telepathy as they walked to the dojo.
Emma had allowed Alanna to use her telepathy with her because she needed the practice, and because as the only other Psionic in Sanctuary she was the one of the easiest to talk to, and could shield thoughts and emotions she didn't want 'heard'. -: He just doesn't think you're ready yet. If you can't beat the agents in the dojo, you won't be able to defend yourself and possibly another person against them on a mission. : - Emma replied. Alanna sighed as they turned around the corner, and climbed the stairs to the dojo. -: I know. : - Alanna stated reluctantly as Emma set the Dojo's controls for their meditation and she took a seat on the floor. -: I just want to help keep Eckhart from getting his hands on others. :- Emma gave her an understanding look as she settled on the floor a few feet away from Alanna as the program shut out the sounds outside the dojo. -: I know how you feel, but you'll just have to wait, and trust us to do that for the moment. : - Alanna grimaced momentarily at Emma before closing her eyes, concentrating on nothing but the sound of her breathing and relaxing.
Alanna hurried to her room when dinner was finished, closing the door and keeping the lights off. A few minutes later she lay on her bed with her cat curled up beside her, slowly petting the madly purring cat, and trying to rid herself of the migraine from her earlier telepathic discussion, eyes closed. She hadn't used her telepathy in a few days, and apparently it was going to give her some trouble over the fact.
Someone opened her door, quietly coming into her room. Alanna slowly sat up, opening her eyes. "Emma?" Alanna asked as she squinted. The figure came over to her bed and sat. "I brought some aspirin, I thought you might have a headache when you didn't stay for the movie." Emma said softly. "Thanks." Alanna said, closing her eyes against the light coming from the hall. "I didn't used to get migraines when I used my telepathy, but I haven't been using it as much as I had been." Alanna explained as she took the pills Emma gave her. Alanna started a little when her cat closed the door and opened her eyes to stare at her ceiling, looking at the glowing stars that flowed down onto her walls. Emma also looked at the scape of stars that almost exactly reflected the night sky, pinpointing constellations on the now-black walls. "I've never seen your room with the lights out." Emma said quietly. "I tried to make it look like I'm outside, I fall asleep easier that way." Alanna explained in the same soft tone Emma had used. Both silently looked at the stars until Alanna's breathing was so rhythmic that she had to be sleeping. Emma quietly left the room, leaving the door ajar slightly.
The next night was a Saturday and the older members of Mutant X went out clubbing after their successful rescue mission, leaving Alanna alone in Sanctuary. She didn't often have time alone, when there weren't any human thoughts or emotions pressing in on her own. As the night wore on she grew frustrated with a project she had been working on for awhile and shut down the computer, taking a walk outside. Hours passed by more rapidly than she thought, so when Adam's call over the comlink came she was a little surprised. "Alanna? Alanna, can you hear me?" Adam's voice asked over her comlink, toned with concern. "I can hear you, I'm coming back in." She responded, starting to walk back to Sanctuary, when she heard something coming towards her. Alanna used her feral vision briefly, and saw it was Shalimar. "I'm fine. How was the club?" She asked as she approached the shadowy figure. They walked back together, discussing a nice looking guy Shal had met at the club, but the conversation died down when they reached the door and Shalimar punched in the code. The door opened and they walked through, and Alanna knew she was going to be in some trouble.
After a terse verbal grilling on the issue of leaving notes when she went outside from Adam, she was allowed to go to bed. "I just forgot." Alanna said to Emma as they walked towards their rooms. "Doesn't he think people can forget to leave notes?" Emma smiled at her. "I just think he was concerned, that's all. We all were a little concerned." Alanna sighed, looking at the floor. "I know, Genomex has been quiet lately and that doesn't portend anything good for us. I just don't like being dragged over a bed of hot coals because of it." Alanna looked over at Emma as they reached her door and stopped. "I don't think anyone does." Emma said, smiling a little as she opened her door and caught Alanna yawning. "You need some sleep." Emma told her and Alanna nodded. "'Night Emma." "Goodnight." Emma said, stepping into her room and closing the door. Alanna yawned again as she walked to her room and opened the door. A minute later she was in bed and sleeping soundly.
Shalimar walked into the dojo the next morning with Jesse and found Alanna in the middle of a program, so they stayed by the door and watched. Alanna faced one agent with her back to Jesse and Shal, punching him in the gut before she dropped to the floor to avoid his return swing and swept her left leg out, kicking his feet out from under him and cuffing the side of his head as he fell, effectively using enough force so the computer rendered the agent 'unconscious'. As the second and third agents converged on her she jumped up and back, her wild grin showing her pleasure in the fight as she kicked the third in the side of the head and then jumped as the second attacked, grabbing his shoulders as she came down and using her momentum to kick the back of his knees. Alanna quickly rolled away after she had sent a psi-blast at him, jumping to her feet in case the computer decided to have more agents appear. The agents disappeared as the program ended and Alanna turned to Shalimar. "How'd I do?" The still grinning redhead asked. Shal smiled at her, Alanna had obviously been spending more time in the dojo than any of them had thought. "I think we're going to have to change your program." The blonde replied and Alanna rolled her eyes. "No good job?" Alanna asked, looking a little disgruntled. Shalimar laughed as Jesse replied. "You did good. But you know you're likely never to hear that from Shal." Shalimar glared at Jesse. Alanna laughed as she walked over. "You know it's not too smart to get Shal mad at you before a session."
Shal played along and grinned evilly at him when he looked at her, and he half-jokingly took a step back. "C'mon you wouldn't." Shalimar's grin widened and Jesse shut up. Alanna was just about rolling on the floor, laughing at their half-joke. "Hey, what's so funny?" Emma asked as she walked in, smiling at everyone's good mood. Alanna tried to tell, but when she got halfway through she started to laugh again so Shalimar told Emma, who turned to Alanna with a knowing smile. "Using that advice, hmm?" Emma asked, good humored. Alanna grinned back at her, "You know it."
Adam walked in with Brennan, looking serious and a little haggard. "How about you go and get a shower Alanna." The teenager nodded, knowing Adam was going to talk about something he didn't want heard. "Okay." Alanna responded, walking out of the dojo and thinking momentarily of 'slipping' in on the conversation by using her telepathy, but decided against it. If Adam wanted her to hear the discussion, he wouldn't have asked for her to go. So she took her time with her shower, using up most of the hot water so that who ever took their shower next was going to have some left, so they couldn't say that she had used it all up.
After she had toweled her hair dry she walked down to the kitchen, grabbing a quick breakfast of cereal and the mandatory piece of fruit. As Alanna was gagging down her banana Shalimar & Emma walked in and sat down at the table, Shalimar making a face at Alanna's banana. "What's up?" Alanna asked after she had finished. Shalimar lost her choking look immediately as Emma's face suddenly took on a slight worried tint to it. "Adam thinks you need to go with us on our next mission." Alanna quickly stifled her grin at the looks Emma and Shal's faces as Emma continued. "Matt Collins is a orphaned new mutant Feral Ursine student at a boarding school, and Adam has information that points to Eckhart abducting him soon. We are going to need to 'enroll' you in the school for a day or two, so we can get him out of there easily."
Alanna looked down at the table, this was definitely not what she had expected for her first mission. Her thoughts wandering to what she had told Emma the other day, while she stared at the tabletop for a minute longer. She brought her head up, decision made. "I'll do it."