Shalimar slowly opened her eyes and realized she still lie on the table in the lab. She tried to turn herself over but found she was still strapped down.

"Hey, Shal."

She heard a familiar yet blurry voice call from behind her. She turned her head to the side to see Brennan walk up next to her and take her hand. He smiled as he looked down at her. She listened to him talking and noticed how he seemed to be so far away from her though he was obviously standing right next to her. She always hated the way that sounded.

"How ya feelin'?" he asked. He looked up and called across the lab, "Adam, she's awake."

"Yeah, but she's still pretty out of it," Adam replied from somewhere out of the ferals field of vision.

Shalimar kept her gaze on Brennan smiling back at her. She felt herself becoming weaker suddenly and shifted her head to the other side. She looked at the empty table that was next to her and suddenly remembered Emma. Where was she? She'd been strapped next to her the last time she remembered seeing her but now it was obvious she was nowhere in the room. Shalimar felt confused and frightened and couldn't even pick up the scent or presence of the psionic in the lab. Suddenly it came back to her. Emma was dead. She'd watched her die. She remembered calling out to her but felt her slipping away. She remembered how she'd tried to kill her. How she hated her. She remembered the sadness in her face when she drifted away and out of sight. How could this be happening? Shalimar couldn't believe it. There must have been some mistake, she told herself. She attempted to lift herself off the table but the restraints and Brennan's hand on her collarbone easing her back down prevented from carrying out the task.

"Hey, Shal, relax."

Shalimar lie herself back down and tried to catch her breath which was racing for some reason that was unknown to her. She tried to open her mouth but felt herself becoming too dizzy to speak. She wanted to ask where Emma was. She wanted to call out to her and see her smiling face beside her. She felt panic quickly overflowing inside her. Before she could seem to form another thought she'd passed out just as quickly as she'd awakened.

Brennan and Adam watched over the feral as she remained in the lab. She'd calmed down much more and hardly ever twitched anymore. They'd both been looking on the bright side a lot more recently at the ferals steady improvement. Adam kept a close eye on her and monitored every change her body made. He watched over her closely and adjusted her treatments as needed. Brennan was always close by to offer his emotional support in case she might awaken once more.

A few days later Shalimar opened her eyes once again. Brennan quickly rushed to her side and offered a smile as she looked back up at him. He didn't expect too much but was pleased to see she recognized him and responded to his presence.

"What's going on?" she finally managed to ask after pulling herself together and gathering her thoughts.

"You're in the lab, Shal," Brennan answered softly. He reached up to stroke her hair gently and held his friendly smile. "You're gonna be ok."

"I'm uncomfortable," she grunted and tried to turn herself.

"Just relax."

"Where's Emma?"

"You can see her later," he told her. "Don't strain yourself."

She's alive. Shalimar realized Emma must still be alive. She suddenly felt a burst of energy and strength. She wanted to leap from the table and run to the psionic and take her in her arms and never let her go. She knew she'd make everything all better the way she always did. How many nights had she fallen asleep in her arms saddened by some grief in her life only to awake with new hope? She knew once she felt Emma embracing her all her troubles would slip away and everything would be ok again. The only medicine she'd need was the psionics sweet kisses. Her sweet touch would sooth all her wounds, outside and in. Her voice would cure any pain left in her head and her smile would light the darkness that had moved into her heart. All she needed was Emma.

Shalimar twitched and tried to sit up once again. Brennan smiled at her eagerness and looked up to Adam.

"I think she's got enough energy to get up, Adam."

Adam smiled and headed over to the feral. He smiled his warm and comforting smile as he looked down at her.

"How ya feelin'?"

"Like there's a drill in my head," she answered. "I wanna get up."

"Well, you don't seem homicidal anymore. I think we can give it a shot."

Adam began to undo her restraints and Brennan assisted. When they were all unstrapped Shalimar slowly sat herself up. She cracked out her back and neck as she did so to relive some of her built up tension. She swung her legs over the side of the table and hopped herself to the floor. She was a little wobbly at first but Brennan held her arm and assisted her across the lab. She smiled and turned when she reached the other side.

"You cats do always land on your feet, don't you?" Adam asked proudly.

Brennan was helping keep her steady but she shook her arm gently, signifying she could do it on her own. He smiled and released her arm and watched as she walked back across the lab to Adam's side. He smiled back and hugged her close.

"I think you're going to be just fine," he reassured.

Brennan nodded an agreement and walked back over to stand beside her. He placed his hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"I wanna see Emma. Where is she?" Shalimar asked anxiously. She looked to Brennan and Adam back and forth.

"She's not here right now, Shal. Why don't you lie back down?" Adam asked and placed his hands on her shoulders. She quickly shrugged him off and stepped away.

"Emma?" she asked through her comlink. "Emma?" She looked to Adam and he noticed how displeased she was becoming. "Where is she, Adam?" she demanded.

"She's on a mission with Jesse. I guess they turned their links off to avoid being heard. Now why don't you lie down and get some more rest."

Shalimar felt herself close to panic again. She told herself something wasn't right there though she wasn't sure if it was true or not. She wanted to believe Adam but felt too confused by what had happened earlier.

"What are you not telling me?" She flashed him a look that made no mistake of letting him know she wasn't in the mood for a run around. "She was lying on that table and now she's gone and you won't tell me anything else?"

"Shalimar, I already told you she's out with Jesse. You've been unconscious for three days," Adam told her.

"What? But she died. I felt it, Adam. I felt her die. I saw her soul slipping away."

Adam sighed and looked back up to her eyes.

"You're right. She died," he let out. "I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to feel guilty. I didn't want it to interfere with your recovery."

Shalimar felt herself becoming light headed. Did she even want to be awake if she had to exist without Emma? To her, she found it worse than being unconscious as now she was aware the psionic wasn't there.

"But, Shal, Emma-"

Adam began to explain but before he could finish Shalimar fainted and he reached out to catch her in his arms. Brennan rushed over to help support her and put her back on the table.

"She should be fine when she wakes up," he said. "But I think I'll do some tests just to make sure. She's been through a lot. I'm sure the shock of it has had a great impact on her."

Shalimar slowly opened her eyes and tried to focus them. She looked around to find she wasn't in the lab like she was last time but in her own bedroom. She looked around the cleaned room and down at her own body. She was lying under her covers and wearing her favorite sleep clothes, blue cotton pants and a matching tank top. She saw flowers on her end tables and chairs on either side of her bed. She felt relived when she noticed she was no longer strapped down.

"At least I can come and go as I please," she thought.

She pushed the covers off her and sat up, letting her feet hang over the bed. She noticed her slippers and her shoes right beside the bed and she slipped on her sneakers. She chose them over the slippers so she could be wearing something that made her feel powerful. She stood up and noticed most of if not all of her pain was gone. She only felt a little ache from the way she'd been sleeping on her side.

As she walked around and examined her room she noticed a sweatshirt hanging over the door to her bathroom. It caught her attention so she walked over and picked it up, instantly recognizing the scent that covered it. It was Emma. This was Emma's sweater.

"Emma?" she instinctively called out. She looked around the room for any sign of the psionic entering.

She set the sweater back down and walked over to her door. "I couldn't have possibly dreamed all of that could I?" she wondered. But she knew she'd been so out of it barely felt real. She was too uncertain to draw any conclusions at this time. She reached out to turn the doorknob and just as she did saw she found her door opening.

"Hey, Shal, I thought I heard you call," Emma said with a broad smile that filed the ferals heart with pure joy. She walked into the room and Shalimar smiled back at her as if she hadn't seen her in ages.

"Emma!" She sounded so relived and threw her arms around her. She pulled her as close as she could until she felt the psionic grunt at her strength. She released her hold and looked at the shocked woman before her but quickly pulled her back into the embrace once more.

"It's nice to see you too, Shal," Emma said.

When she finally let go of the psionic Shalimar looked into her twinkly eyes and felt like she was finally home again. She took Emma's hands in her own and smiled at her with delight, never letting it fade.

"I guess you're feeling better," Emma assumed.

"Much."

Shalimar smiled knowing the reason for it was her. Emma smiled back almost as if to say she understood the ferals feelings.

"I thought you were dead?" Shalimar questioned.

"I was. So were you."

"Then how? How are you here?"

"When you died I got an idea. I used my energy to help you, to help your body and mind ease the tension and be able to pull through. It kinda drained me though."

"And you died. I felt it."

Shalimar looked sadly at the psionic but then smiled with relief.

"You're alive now."

"Yes. The guys were there to help me thankfully."

"But you saved me. After what I'd done to you, you still…" Shalimar trailed off as she realized what the woman had done. "You died for me."

"I couldn't just let you die could I?"

"I'd hope not. I'd have done the same for you."

"I know," Emma said with a smile.

"Thank you."

Emma led them over to the bed and Shalimar sat down with a relieved sigh. Emma turned to walk away but Shalimar held her hand tighter and pulled her back towards her. Emma stood before the sitting feral and smiled down at her. Having the psionic stand so close to her excited Shalimar beyond belief.

"Don't go too far," Shalimar instructed.

"I'm going to get your medicine out of the bathroom cabinet. I'll be right back." Emma leaned in and kissed the ferals forehead softly. She turned and Shalimar reluctantly let her hand slide from her own to release her hold on the psionic. Emma walked into the joining bathroom and soon enough walked back out to rejoin the feral.

"Why don't you lie down?" Emma suggested.

Shalimar smiled and followed the psionics instructions. She inched herself back until she was fully on the bed and rested her head back on the soft pillow. Emma pulled up the chair next to the bed and reached for the ferals arm.

"What are you doing?" Shalimar asked when she saw Emma raise the needle.

"Giving you your medicine. It's a shot. It'll keep you from having any panic attacks."

Emma's smiled eased the feral and she began to prep her arm. Shalimar kept her eyes glued to the beautiful woman. She admired her as she worked, running her eyes over her hair and her perfect skin, both so silky it made you want to pet her. She didn't think she even needed the medicine with Emma there touching her. She'd never felt anything so lovely or delicate as her touch.

When she'd finished her task Emma set the needle back into its case and looked to Shalimar, almost batting her long lashes at her.

"That's it," she informed with a smile.

"That's it?" Shalimar asked in disbelief. She hadn't even felt a thing. She'd been far too concentrated on Emma to notice anything else going on around her. "Ya know last time I got a balloon and a lollipop," she reminded and grinned at Emma.

Emma smiled and gestured with her eyes to the closet in the far corner of the room. Shalimar followed the psionics gaze with her own and noticed the balloons tied to the door handle. She smiled and turned her eyes back to meet with the psionics.

"Thanks."

"Anything for you."

Emma stood up and Shalimar suddenly felt doubt entering into her paradise of feelings. She tried to ignore it but knew it would have to be addressed sooner or later.

"Emma, I think we should talk." She already had a headache but wanted to clear any unsettling air with Emma as soon as possible. She didn't want anything that had already happened between them to become any worse.

"We don't have to talk now, Shal."

"Yes we do."

Shalimar reached out and took Emma's wrist. She gently eased her hold off her when she remembered she was trying to improve things between them. Emma sighed and walked around to the edge of the bed.

"Please sit down," Shalimar pleaded.

Emma climbed into bed next to the feral and leaned back against the wall. Shalimar sat herself up and did the same. She paused for a moment, then inched herself closer so they were up against one another and held the psionics hands once more. She looked deep into her ice blue eyes and waited until she had her full attention. There were so many things she wanted to say to her. She wanted to apologize for the way she acted. She wanted to try and explain how she didn't mean for any of those things to ever happen. She wanted to explain why she'd said the things she had. As she thought about it she began to realize it was almost too much for even her to understand so how could she possibly make the psionic understand? She searched for the right words to say but found herself coming up blank.

As Emma sat closely beside the feral she tried to keep herself steady and not let Shalimar's uneasiness get to her. She could feel her uncertainty radiating off her like a heat lamp and tried to ignore it as best she could.

"I…" Shalimar tried to begin to explain herself but wasn't sure of what to say that would make it right. How could she make the psionic know why she acted the way she did? She sighed as if she was trying to calm herself but knew the real reason was frustration with herself.

"I…" she tried again but came up blank once more. She took a deep breath and finally blurted it out, "I love you, Emma." She couldn't think of anything else to say. She'd never said those words before, not like that. She never said them so heart felt and deeply. She'd never meant it before as much as she did now. She knew she'd never really loved before Emma.

After a moment of silence passed Shalimar turned her gaze from the psionics. She half expected her to say something in return but she just sat there silently. Shalimar looked back to her as if to try and read her facial expression. Emma just sat there as if she was in deep thought.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted," Shalimar finally added. "I know I can never make up for the way I treated you. You deserve so much better than that."

Emma remained silent for a few minutes, repeating the ferals words in her head.

"I forgive you, Shal. I know it wasn't in your control." She paused for a moment wondering if she should continue. "But you felt those things didn't you?" she lowered her voice. "You hated me."

Shalimar sighed and tried not to look away. "Yes."

Emma looked somewhat shocked at the ferals admission.

"I hated you. In a way that is. I hated you because I hated myself. I hated myself for not telling you how I felt. I realize that now. And I hated you for not being with me even though I never tried to claim you. All those times we'd cuddle or kiss, even when you were with someone else, I wanted you to be my own. I hated the fact you weren't and I blamed you for it. I'm sorry."

"No, it's my fault too, Shal."

Shalimar felt Emma grip her hands harder and looked to her face to see regret dancing in her clear, blue eyes.

"I don't know why we've acted the way we have but it's not the fault of just one of us. I should've told you how I felt too and I didn't. I think when we almost kissed the other day it confused you more than it should have and I'm at fault for that too. We've never had any kind of serious kiss like that was going to be."

Shalimar nodded in agreement. Of all the cuddling and gentle kissing they'd done they knew it was all in fun and excitement, never was it an expression of romantic love.

"And how do you feel?"

Emma furled her brow at the ferals question. Shalimar flashed her wondrous smile and inquired again, "You said you should have told me how you felt. How do you feel?"

"I love you."

Shalimar starred into the psionics eyes almost feeling faint. She felt her whole world come suddenly together at Emma's sweet confession. She leant herself as close to her face as she could, feeling her cheeks burn, and brushed her lips along the psionics for a moment before taking them with her own in a passionate kiss. She knew she'd never loved, never kissed, never lived before this woman. She knew she never could without her either. She kissed her as deeply as she could until she could almost feel Emma's soul react to her tongue.

When their kiss finally ended Shalimar smiled her approval at the psionic.

"I'm definitely feeling much better."

She quickly kissed her once more.

"Except for this killer headache, damn."

"Why don't you lie back down?"

"Only if you'll join me."

Shalimar grinned an invitation at the psionic who happily slid herself down and draped herself across the ferals chest to pull her close. She reached out and brought the ferals hands over to her face. Emma gently kissed the nearly healed nail bites on her palms and traced her tongue over them lightly.

Shalimar smiled and looked at the flowers beside her. She turned back to look at Emma.

"I love my flowers," she said with a smile. "No thorns."

"Nope," Emma agreed. "Just love and beauty."

"And uh, what about that wine?"

Emma blushed and looked up to eye the bottle of wine she'd brought in earlier.

"Am I supposed to drink that?"

"Well, it's for both of us."

"Oh really? You're gonna drink that with me?"

"Well, I thought your health was cause for a celebration."

"That's not all we need to celebrate," Shalimar said with a grin.

Shalimar took Emma's arm and trailed her fingers down the soft, smooth skin. Her beautiful features tensed up in a frown at seeing the bruises still on her arms. She felt the painful string as she realized they were from her. She pulled Emma's arms towards her and gently kissed each of her bruises as if to cure them. Emma sighed at Shalimar's gesture and the feral moved out from under her body and braced herself atop the psionic. Emma reached up and stoked the ferals face with her right hand and wrapped her left around her back to rub her neck. Shalimar looked down at the small bruises still remaining, though almost gone, on Emma's neck. She slowly bent her head and began to kiss them softly, allowing her tongue to sooth the injured flesh. She finally pulled herself back and looked deep into Emma's eyes like sparkling water.

"I guess I have a lot to make up for."

Shalimar smiled and lowered her mouth to the psionics awaiting lips. In a kiss like that they were fuller and softer than she ever could have imagined. She'd have never thought anything could taste as sweet if Emma hadn't proved her wrong. Her scent was beyond alluring. Her touch was above amazing. The feel of her was so electric Shalimar couldn't believe it.

"I'm sure you'll find a way."

Shalimar's hands trailed their way down the psionics body and Emma melted into them. She felt the tickle of the ferals long, blonde hair as she bent her head to kiss her stomach. Emma reached down and lifted the bottom of her v necked shirt up slightly to show she offered no protest. Her head was spinning from the romantic excitement to the point where she felt she might burst. Her whole body trembled at the intensity she felt from Shalimar's kisses. Any pain she might have had quickly dissipated and was replaced by incredible desire.

Shalimar's mouth worked its way across Emma's soft stomach as she felt she couldn't taste enough of her no matter how hard she tried. She brought her head back across her belly, pausing to lick her naval. She circled the psionics naval with her tongue, gently taking her jeweled ring between her teeth and playing with it with her tongue. The sensation fueled the psionics desires tenfold and she reached down to pull her shirt up over her head and throw it aside. She felt Shalimar grin against her and she reached her hands down to the ferals hips and tugged her shirt off as well.

Shalimar quickly sat up so she could remove her pants and shoes and throw them aside. She straddled her naked body above Emma's and continued on her previous task. She trailed her tongue up her sides and licked every rib through Emma's soft skin. She wanted to take as much time as she could to enjoy the beautiful woman before her and Emma offered no protests. Emma shut her eyes tight at the pleasure Shalimar produced with just a simple touch. Her entire body never felt so alive or so excited as when the ferals hands and mouth roamed free over it. She trembled with every touch as she could feel her body thanking her for finally surrendering herself to the feral.

When she finally opened her eyes all Emma saw was her bra being tossed aside. She soon felt the moistness of Shalimar's tongue caressing her breasts. Her teasing strokes were almost enough to drive the psionic over the edge. As Shalimar continued Emma reached out to take the ferals breasts in her own hands. Shalimar smiled against the psionic and licked her way back up her neck and across her chin. She let her whole body drop down onto Emma's as their lips met again. The feel of their skin colliding was so incredible neither one of them could believe it. Emma moaned among gaps for breaths as the feral kept her mouth securely pressed to her own. She ran her hands down the ferals back softly then performed the same task again with her nails. She stopped when she reached the ferals neck and let her fingers play at the base.

Shalimar moved herself over the psionics body, tasting her every now and then. Emma reached out to keep her hands on the feral and searched her body as best she could. She wanted to tell the feral how deeply she loved her but let her gentle caresses say it instead. Shalimar wanted to tell the psionic how sorry she was for mistreating her. Wanted to tell her how she worshiped her like a goddess and loved her more than anyone but let her tongue do the talking to say all the things she couldn't find the words to express.

When she finally returned to Emma's mouth once again the psionic wrapped her arms tight around the ferals back to pull her into a kiss that seemed to last forever. When they'd expelled all the energy they had Shalimar rolled herself over to lie beside the psionic. She pulled Emma's sweaty body close to her own and cradled her in her arms. She shifted her head to look into the satisfied eyes of her lover.

"I love you," she informed though she knew after their display there was no need for the words. If anything, if felt like such an understatement.

"I love you too," Emma said.

"I know, but you still owe me a lollipop."

Emma smiled and kissed the feral again before resting her head on her shoulder and falling asleep.