I'd like to give a specific thank you to goldstranger. You have reviewed my story so many times and I like reading what you have to say. Thanks.

The more reviews I get the faster I can write, I'm not really sure how that works but it does. I apologize for not getting this chapter out sooner, but there wasn't much I could do. I had writer's block. MAJOR writer's block. Hopefully I'm past that now.

Disclaimer: NOT MINE, wish they were but THEY'RE NOT. However Corey and Analyn do belong to me along with a couple of others, if you use, ask first.

Bold indicates emphasis on a word.

Italics indicate thoughts, or time lapse

***** indicate time lapse or scene change

Chapter 7

A Revelation

For a long while both Brennan and Emma lay lifeless in a closed off cave within the pile of rubbish that had been the safe house. It was Brennan who was the first to stir. He slowly came back to consciousness and as he stood up it took him a while to realize he was trapped inside a collapsed building. Not only that but he was trapped with Emma, Emma who had gone bonkers and was working for Eckhart and for who knows why.

"Damn!" Brennan shouted to himself. He rubbed his hands together and kept on clenching and unclenching them. They were incredibly sore for no apparent reason. "It was my head that hit the wall so why is it my hands are hurting instead?" His head did hurt but it was not hurt that was caused by any physical damage, so he wasn't sure what to think.

After trying to dull the pain, which had not worked since it still hurt like hell, Brennan took a look around. It was pretty dark, and he expected the only reason he could see barely was his eyes had already adjusted. That was the only explanation because no lights could be working and there was too much rubble for outside light to get through. He was so distracted that he didn't even think of powering up an electric charge to be able to see. Currently he was more worried about whether or not there was any ventilation and if not how much air they had left. If there wasn't they could have just hours to live, or less. They… there was more than just him trapped here, he hadn't been thinking that Emma was in this as well and so using the term they seemed a bit odd.

"Uhhh…hmph…ahoh!" Emma coughed as she awoke. She didn't seem very faint for a person who just came into consciousness. She shook her head to wake herself up and took a look around. Immediately she took in the fact that she was trapped under the debris of the collapsed safe house. The size of the space was about seven feet high and a width of about ten or twelve feet. No way to get out and she was stuck there with Brennan. The two just exchanged glances that were surprisingly easy to see in such a darkened area.

******

On the outside of the pile of wreckage stood Adam and Shalimar with the still unconscious Jesse.

"What the hell are we supposed to do, Adam!?!?" Shalimar started. "They're buried under God knows how much mess with a limited air supply and the one person who could get them out in a couple seconds is out cold!" She gestured toward Jesse's limp form. "—And," she continued, keeping Adam from saying anything in rebuttal, "at this point in time I'm not so sure I actually want to get Emma out of there!" Shalimar was taking deep breaths out of panic and anger.

"Relax Shalimar! We will get them out of there."

"… How?!?"

"The hard way." Adam said as he picked up one of the many pieces of debris that littered the ground. Shalimar gave him a look that said 'you've got to be kidding'. "How else are we going to get them out? We need to work as fast as we can. There's no telling how much time they have to live."

******

Emma's glare seemed to penetrate the room.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything?!? There's no point in sitting here, losing air, in the dark doing nothing." Emma started with an air of annoyance.

"I've got nothing to say to you!!"

"Yeah? Well, that's really bad lying if you ask me! I'm sure you've got plenty you want to say to my face." Brennan's expression screwed up in anger, as he listened to Emma taunting him. By the look on his face Emma inferred that Brennan would very much like to do something to her to let steam off, and for some reason she found this very invigorating. After a couple moments of silence all went to hell.

"You had no right!" Brennan just yelled, turning his head and looking down so he was facing her.

"No right doing what?!?" Emma retaliated as she stood up in order to size him up better.

"You know perfectly well what!"

The tension in the enclosed space grew to such a level that either could swear they could feel the others heart rate increase alarmingly. The air seemed to become humid with their enraged breaths. Both just stopped talking, aware of the increasing of each other's vitals without even needing a machine or Adam to do so. It was then that Brennan decided to change the subject.

"We better…" Brennan took a deep breathe so he could attempt to become relaxed. "Not do this. Otherwise we could lose air a lot sooner, and then we'd be done for." Brennan took Emma's silence as an agreement. After that everything became much quieter. Emma scrunched down on so she was a bit more relaxed. No longer could they hear each other's rattling breaths.

Seconds seemed to take forever to tick by; it was as if time was going slower but the rate of oxygen loss stayed the same. Neither was sure how much time had passed before someone spoke. Though it wasn't a yell like their previous conversation.

"Why did you do it?" Brennan asked in almost a mumble that was very monotonous. Emma, who had been looking at the ground, looked up into Brennan's face. It seemed he had finally mustered a certain unnerving calmness, at least on the outside anyway. She was still in her same position, squatting down, her eyes hadn't moved their gaze from Brennan, as she pondered her answer. Then before actually speaking she diverted her gaze.

"I've got my reasons—you wouldn't understand." Instead of unleashing any rage at Emma's remark, which got him no real answers from her, Brennan still remained in his dreary state.

"Wouldn't I?" Brennan merely said as he walked over to a chunk of wreckage, parallel to Emma, sat down and folded his hands. Watching her, waiting for her reaction. Emma herself was a bit stunned on how well he was taking this frustration, as opposed to his earlier reactions.

"Look, you're not a psion—"

"What does it matter? I'm still a mutant, last time I checked." Emma was beginning to feel uncomfortable at Brennan's ploy. If she were to talk to anyway about this there was no question that she would want Jesse. He was the type of person to understand easily and accept the person for their choices, even though he'd make his opinion known. Now Brennan, he wasn't so good to talk to about anything especially since he couldn't control his emotions at all. Taking one deep breath Emma decided to go into an explanation.

"You have no idea what it's like to live with everybody's emotions inside your head, and then find that not only you can't control the wall you use to block them but it causes you unbelievable pain. It's completely and totally unbearable, I couldn't think straight let alone feel straight. Adam insisted that I would and could deal with it, and… in the beginning I believed him—"

"But—" Brennan added for her.

"But, I couldn't in the end. Everything I had ever been taught to focus didn't matter anymore because it didn't work. I knew by feeling him that Adam would never try to find the answer in genetics, which I knew was my last hope. So… I went to the next source—"

"Eckhart—"

"Yes, Eckhart. AND I don't regret it." She impressed upon don't greatly. A bit of tension began to resurface in the room."

"Well you should." Brennan mumbled more under his breath than out loud, but Emma heard it nonetheless.

"OH yeah?!? Why? Because it doesn't benefit any of you?!? Because for once I'm doing something to help myself!?! Well I'm sorry that it makes you 'upset' that what I'm doing will help me keep my sanity—"

"Your sanity?!? You think working with Eckhart is keeping your SANITY?!?! Please be kidding because teaming with him is the least sensible thing you have ever DONE!! And believe me you've had your moments in that domain." Seething with anger once again Brennan stood with his fists balled up. Seeing this Emma fought back with words.

"Oh?!? So now you're going to hit me? Well go on ahead! I dare you! Come on Brennan! You want to take a swing at me so take one!" Emma, standing once again, glared at Brennan with a smug smile on her face. "You see? You won't hit me." Unfortunately for Brennan she was totally right… he wouldn't hit her. In frustration he sat back down again. Emma was still glaring at him but her smile had left a frown and he wouldn't have even noticed because he was staring at the ground.

***Meanwhile***

Outside, rubble was being moved from side to side in attempts to uncover Brennan or even Emma but so far they had failed. Shalimar had started out at a fast pace but since then had slowed, partially because lugging so much debris was so tiresome but also because it was so cold outside. They could all see their breath in front of them as miniature clouds of frost. Their molecular teammate still lay there out cold in the cold. Ironic.

"Adam. Isn't there a faster way to do this? They're dying in there and for all we know could be dead."

"Well, they're not dead because we're still getting signals from their com-links—"

"—Emma is still wearing hers?" Adam just ignored this since it was more of a speculation.

"And, to answer your question. Yes, there is a faster way—"

"How?" Shalimar almost jumped for joy at this.

"Work faster." Shalimar paused as if waiting for Adam's answer before realizing that was his answer. A bit aggravated at Adam for his smart-alecky comment she went on working in silence.

******

Brennan was having a staring contest with the floor until he sensed Emma's gaze upon him. Slowly he moved his eyes upward as he tilted his head up just as slow. First they rested on Emma's feet, then her waist, then her chest, neck, head. His eyes only met hers for a second before he spoke.

"What are you looking at?" Brennan tried with a sense of irritation in his voice. Emma took in a deep airy sigh.

"An asshole." She said with ease, it was the same tone a person would usually use to say 'nothin'. This made Brennan's blood boil, and he stood up again.

"You're really on my last nerve!!"

"Really?" She stifled a yawn, "I thought we were on your last nerve a long time ago."

"I'm fed up with trying to hold my temper with you!"

"Then come on! Give me what you've got! Give me all you've got!!" Emma kept on trying to provoke him. "Then maybe there'd at least be something interesting around here." The two were leaning in close to each other, their noses were about six inches apart and both were staring daggers at the other.

"You keep trying to provoke me." Brennan began under his breath. "I think you're the one who wants to fight."

"You wouldn't hit a girl." She said this with some confidence.

"Wouldn't I?" he whispered.

Then without even resorting to her power Emma reached out and slapped him across the face before he could do anything. Brennan held his face for a second before he actually moved to punch her. It was more out of reflex than the actual situation. Emma kicked him in the stomach just as Brennan punched her in the collarbone. Emma landed off balance and tumbled backwards and landed with her legs sprawled. Brennan stumbled backwards and hit his head on a lower part of the ceiling. He then slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting, knees to his chest, against the wall. It then became obvious the reason they had stopped. Both had barely been moving but their breathing had become very labored and even after a rest neither was able to control their breathing. It was obvious that the oxygen supply was running low and fast. Of course there was absolutely nothing either could do about it. If they tried to dig out they might cause their little shelter to collapse on them. This event didn't actually come up in their conversation though.

"Why do you care?" Emma asked, out of the blue, exasperated. Brennan just stared at her for barely a second before his reaction.

"Care about what?" Even though he knew what she was talking about.

"About the situation, my powers, me, everything?!?" Although she did over exaggerate on the last thing she listed.

"Because I—it just—because—" He didn't seem capable of answering still such a vague question.

"Why do you care about what happens to me? I've left, so why don't you just go and care about what happens to Shalimar or Jesse?!?"

"It's you Emma, so—so I care more!" Even though he practically shouted this it didn't get him the casual response he meant it to.

Emma's face screwed up in anger since they had slowly been raising their voices, but breathing hard just the same. She was about to yell when her brain finally processed what Brennan had said. Without even trying to use her telempathy she figured something out.

"Oh…my God." It was back to very calm. She simply stared at Brennan, not yet able to believe that her conclusion was true. Brennan didn't show any change in emotion; all he did was stare into Emma's eyes as she stared back into his. Shivers crawled up and down each of their spines. From that moment the deep breaths each took were a bit rattled.

Once again time seemed to crawl by slow as ever. Neither one of them looked away from the other's eyes. Emma could feel her own heart beat pounding against her chest, as if it would soon burst. Brennan could hear his own heart beat in his ears.

Still no really knowing what to say, Emma decided to break the silence.

"Do—do you really mean that?" she asked shakily, diverting her eyes from Brennan's. The meaning of Brennan's last words still remained unspoken. "He really means that! Look at the expression on his face. It's obvious guilt—But Brennan? This… this doesn't make any sense. He couldn't l—he couldn't lo—" Emma found it impossible to even think it, let alone say it aloud. That would mean admitting it was true. "Brennan, you don't l—lo—" she stuttered. How could she actually pose this question? Still, she had to ask.

"—How do you want me to answer that?" Brennan spoke before she could. "I can't say I don't…" Tension was rising to breaking point within this cave. Both had the desire and the need to break the stress, especially Brennan. Although he wasn't nervous, for some reason he could sense the tension so vividly.

"How—why—when?!?" She stuttered through several questions before coming to the one she definitely wanted answered. Brennan stood up again and turned his back to Emma. He leaned his right forearm against the wall, resting it above his head. Then he bowed his head to look at the floor.

"I guess I'm not sure…" his answer was not at all what she wanted to hear. Emma had never seen him in such a submissive state.

"Not sure?!? How can you NOT be sure?!?" The anxiety within her was building. "If he's not sure…then—then. Then this could've been present ever since we—we—ever since we met." For a second Emma thought of their first two meetings in that bar, the first where she asked for his help and the second where Brennan showed off for her with a little spark. She took another deep, shaking, breath and then coughed, for the oxygen was still rapidly diminishing.

There was probably less than fifteen minutes of air left, but neither of their thoughts resided on that topic. Emma noticed that on the outside, Brennan's emotional weakness was increasing. The huge pauses, such as this one, in their conversation were almost implied meaning. Even though no one spoke it was as if the discussion still carried on.

"So, all of those times…" Emma spoke softly as something dawned on her. This sudden revelation seemed to make her blood boil and anger rise. She rolled her eyes as she began to speak again, this time with a tone full of resentment and hurt. "So—so when I had my thing with Tyler?!?!" This was the first time she had mentioned Tyler since his death. "That was… JEALOUSY?!? That was how you dealt with it?!?" She shook her head in disbelief, then lowered her voice to a normal volume; however her tone still reflected annoyed astonishment. Her brow furrowed, "At LEAST Je—some people who have these feelings have the decency to consider my own feelings in that 'happy' little equation." She had almost said Jesse's name in her anger. She could still remember all he did to help her get through mental and emotional conflicts at that time.

Brennan turned around slowly. Facing Emma, he could see the anger and hurt chiseled into her soft round face. He didn't know what he could say, if anything, to make things better.

"I liked her first reaction better" A little voice told him inside his head. Now that way of thinking was more Brennan's style but everything else that was happening was from another world compared to what he usually was. He looked into Emma's eyes but only for a second because he could stand seeing the feeling in her. It was weird, he could swear he could feel the emotions radiating from her but dismissed it without question.

"How could you do this?" Was all Emma mustered without screaming or yelling.

"I didn't mean—it was an accident Em I accidentally let it slip—"

"Let it SLIP?!?" She lost control of her anger, "Whether it was an accident or not you had no RIGHT!!" Emma's teeth were gritted in anger as she screamed at Brennan.

Suddenly Emma's forehead began to glow brightly, but it wasn't any psionic orb. Her forehead glowed with a bright electric blue light with hints of ribbons of ultraviolet colored light. Then she let loose a blast of, not psionic but electric. A huge lightning bolt issued from her head and hit Brennan head on. Electricity danced over his skin as it surged through his body. Emma kept the blast up until it faded away on it's own. Only then did a stunned look cover her face. 'She had just projected electricity from her body, ON HER OWN!' Her breathing increased at an alarming rate, as she slid down against the wall opposite where Brennan's now limp form lay. She didn't dare go over to check his pulse, out of fear.

TBC…

Duh DUH DUNH!!! Oh my God!! They didn't die last time but will Brennan survive and what happened? Brennan loves Emma?!?! How did Emma project electricity?!? You'll just have to review to find out next time on Mutant X.

I just felt like writing like that. Please let me know if you ever see mistakes or weak points in my writing. I always like to improve!