Emma's heart broke as she sat beside Shalimar strapped to the chair healing her wounds. She was finding it somewhat difficult among Shalimar's sudden twitches that would shake her body every now and then. She could feel all the discomfort and pain that was raging through the feral and just picking up the feelings was making her sick and hurt. As she healed the last of the ferals scratches she turned back to Adam.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?"

Adam stood before the screen watching and typing. He shook his head at her question and tried to hide his nervousness.

"I'm still working on it. I might need to do another couple tests after this."

Emma turned back to Shalimar and fought her urge to cry at the ferals state. She gently brushed her hair back from her face and stroked her cheek. As she did so she noticed Shalimar beginning to move more as if she was becoming more conscious. She heard the feral making soft moans and grunts and she seemed to react to her touch.

"I'm gonna let these last few run. Come on." Adam said and turned back to Emma. "I think we should go."

"You mean just leave her here?"

"Yes. She'll probably be awake soon and I think it's best she doesn't see us right away, especially you."

"Oh."

"This way I can monitor her while she's alone as well."

"Yeah, I guess," Emma reluctantly agreed and stood to her feet. She frowned in sadness as she followed Adam out of the lab leaving the twitching feral strapped to the chair.

"We can listen to her over the link in the lab," Adam said.

The two made their way to the single sided see through glass to stand in the observation area and watch the distraught feral.

Shalimar twitched in her seat as she found herself beginning to wake up. She quickly noticed she was strapped down and fought against the metal restraints that held her wrists and feet in place only to find it useless. She felt dizzy and lightheaded and looked around trying to focus her blurry eyes. After a moment she realized she was in the lab.

"Well, you certainly are a fighter," Emma said with a laugh.

Shalimar looked to her right to see Emma sitting on the counter in her blue jeans skirt and red halter top with her legs crossed and dangling over the side. She opened her mouth and tried to speak and found her voice somewhat softer than usual.

"Go away."

"Don't worry I won't be here much longer," Emma said as she jumped from the counter and walked over to the feral. "Or you won't. Well, one of us won't anyway."

Shalimar whimpered at the realization there wasn't anything she could do about her suffering.

"I think we should take this opportunity to talk, Shal."

Emma began to pace slowly in front of Shalimar who kept her gaze fixed on the woman before her.

"What's on your mind there, little girl? Well, you know what's been on my mind? I never told you how uncomfortable you made me when you were 'pretending' to comfort me. Well, how you've always 'pretended' but especially then."

"What?"

"Remember, after Tyler? You held me close and acted like a good little feral trying to comfort me and dry my tears hoping all the while I didn't sense what was really going on inside you. I was so heart broken but all you really wanted to do was take me to your room and make me forget he ever existed. But, you pretended to care about my fragile feelings and put on such a show. It tore you up when I was with him didn't it?"

Emma glared at the feral as if to try and judge her reactions. She walked slowly around the feral leaned in to her face every now and then and taking a moment to run her fingers across Shalimar's collar bone.

"When I told you all the things I did to him you just cringed and hated me, didn't you? You wanted to hurt me that night and hoped I didn't realize it."

"No."

"Yes you did, Shal. You wanted to make me suffer for making you suffer with your feelings. You hated me for shaking my little ass in front of you and kissing you goodbye only to get my kicks in someone else's arms. You were crazy about me, and now, you're just crazy."

"You're wrong. You're twisting it all-"

"No, I'm just telling you the truth, Shal."

Emma made her way to stand beside the feral and lowered herself so their faces were side by side. She slowly rubbed Shalimar's head and let her hand trail down through her hair.

"And you wanna know a secret? I know how bad you want me, and all those things that drive you crazy everyday, I do 'em all on purpose just to have a little fun."

Emma laughed and licked Shalimar's neck and trailed her tongue up around her ear before pulling back to laugh at the frustrated expression she held.

"I get such a kick out of making you sweat."

Shalimar tried to cry and tried to scream but found herself far too worked up to do either. All she could do was sit in the chair, twitching, and sweating as the psionic teased her.

"I did wanna help you, Emma," the feral finally said in a pant.

"Yeah, right. You wanted to help me, right into bed. You think I really didn't know? It doesn't even take a psionic to read between those lines, Shal. I was so hurt and all you could think about was all the dirty things you wished I'd done to you instead. You can't tell me you didn't think I'd catch on to what you really wanted when you were pushing up against me like that."

"I...I wanted-"

"You wanted to push a little harder and make it hurt and you wanted me to like it, wanted me to beg for it and tell you it's what I've always wanted."

"Why are you saying this, Emma?"

"She's talking about you," Adam said with a look to Emma by his side.

"She's talking like she's talking to me."

Emma watched in confusion as Shalimar continued talking.

"Tell me what you want from me, Emma."

"I already told you, Shal."

Emma headed over to stand in front of the feral. She straddled her legs over Shalimar's strapped down ones and took her face in both her hands to look deep into her fear ridden eyes.

"I want you to tell me how you feel."

Emma smiled down at the feral who began to smile back.

"So I can reject you to your pathetic, lovesick face."

Emma laughed wildly and stepped back from Shalimar. Shalimar fought harder against her restraints. She arched her back as she tried to throw herself forward at the pain overflowing in her heart, body, and soul.

As Emma watched she felt like it was her own emotions that were being toyed with. She couldn't stand seeing her in so much pain and couldn't stand feeling it either.

"Adam, we have to do something."

"Those tests I ran are about done. Let's go in and get a look," Adam suggested.

The two headed into the lab and Emma quickly rushed to Shalimar's side and tried to calm her. Adam walked over to the screen to view the results upon it. Emma placed her hand on the sweaty forehead of the feral who didn't even seem to notice she was there.

"Emma, I told you I didn't want you in here during this," Adam said with a stern voice.

"I'm not leaving her, Adam."

Shalimar's gaze turned to the side of the room where a grinning Emma still stood, arms folded, wearing a cocky look. She walked over to stand behind the feral and talk into her ear.

"Tell me," she said, "and I'll go away."

"What?"

"Tell me and I'll leave. I wanna hear it first."

Shalimar panted harder and felt the soft touches upon her face and arms though she paid no attention. She couldn't pry her eyes away from the teasing psionic next to her.

"I…," she started among gasps for breath.

"Say it," Emma coaxed her further.

"I…love you, Emma."

Emma grinned and leaned away.

"And you hate me don't you? Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me you hate me. Come on, Shal, you've wanted to for so long now let me hear it!"

"I…"

"What? What!"

"Hate you! I hate you!"

Emma grinned in satisfaction and Shalimar hung her head back to fight the chair. She looked back only to find emptiness where the psionic had stood. She felt the hands on her arms and looked down to see Emma hunched over before her and in shock from her words. Shalimar growled at the psionic and kicked her with her foot, frustrated she was unable to lift it higher for a better shot. Emma grabbed her leg as the impact stuck her and backed up.

"Emma, I told you to get out of here," Adam said and took Emma's hand to lead her away from the yellow eyed Shalimar and led her over to the door.

"Now go, I'll meet you and the others in a few minutes."

Emma was too hurt to say anything in return and just looked at Shalimar, hardly recognizing her as the friend she used to know, and turned to leave the lab in a sob.