Chapter 21
By Imjuzakyd
"What do we do now?"
There. She finally asked the inevitable. Nobody wanted to start the conversation, but Emma could sense the turmoil in her teammates' systems. They were almost at the Sanctuary, and all of them knew that they better start making decisions if they ever wanted to save the whole planet. Sacrifices would have to be made, feelings set aside. Everything must be fixed, set in order. The world depended on them.
"We need Brennan to open the door," Jesse answered, trying to avoid eye contact with the others. "Then we send the them back to where they belong. End of story."
"You know it's not that simple, Jess," Emma replied, biting her lower lip. She knew how hard it was for Jesse to take the role of the leader. Since she joined the team Emma had always perceived Jesse as the follower-type, the faithful student of Adam who would obey his every command. Emma had to admit that Jesse was brilliant, probably the most brilliant of them all, but still, he wasn't the leader type that they needed right now.
And Shalimar wasn't in the mood to think. The feral was hunched back in her seat, eyes glued to their mentor, her hands clutching his hands. It was as if Adam would disappear the moment she lets him go. Somehow Shalimar felt this was their Adam, the Adam they all thought was dead. And there was no way she was losing him again.
"We're here," Jesse suddenly said, breaking Emma's thoughts. The psionic watched Jesse open the Audi's door and rush into their headquarters. Emma sighed softly as she turned to face Shalimar in the back seat. The feral still had her eyes glued to Adam, oblivious of what was going on around her.
"Hey, Shal, we're here," Emma said kindly. She knew how hard it was for the feral to see Adam, the other Adam, die. Even if that wasn't their dimension's Adam, Emma knew Shalimar would still weep for him, mourn for the loss of the leader she didn't really know.
Shalimar looked up slowly and met Emma's eyes. She forced a weak smile before retuning her gaze to their sleeping mentor.
"Everything will be all right, ok?" Emma tried to assure the feral. Shalimar nodded slowly and wiped the tears that were starting to flow down her cheeks. "C'mon, let's take him inside."
Shalimar nodded and gently pulled Adam up. Emma went out of the car and proceeded to open the door on Shalimar's side. She was about to help the feral carry Adam out of the car when Jesse came running back to them.
"What happened?" Emma asked when she saw Jesse's frustrated face. Although deep inside, she already knew what was wrong. The color drained down from her cheeks. "W-where's… Brennan?"
"He's gone," Jesse spit out, trying to control the anger that was forming in his chest. "And so is Adam."
-8-8-8-8-8-
"All right, everybody out," Shalimar told everyone as she stepped out of the van. Lexa gave the feral a set of dagger stares before opening the door at her side. She was starting to hate this Shalimar for reasons she rather not explain. It wouldn't matter anyway. In a manner of minutes, she'd be able to go back to her own dimension, and that would be the last she'd see them, all of them.
"I need a little help here," Jesse spoke from the back seat, trying not to look as helpless as he really was.
"Oh damn," Lexa muttered under her breath, as she returned to the car and started pulling the molecular out. Jesse was probably the only person she could really get along with in this dimension, and he was starting to be a real pain for her as well.
"What now?" Lexa asked, directing her question to Brennan. The elemental shot Lexa a shut-up-or-I'll-fry-you look before helping Emma get out of the vehicle. The psionic was still a little dizzy, so Brennan didn't have a hard time carrying her into the building.
Shalimar gave Lexa a sarcastic stare before following Brennan inside. It took all of Lexa's will power not to shoot the two with her laser beams. Instead, she slowly helped the molecular limp his way into the building.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-
"Brennan?"
That voice. He knew he should have removed his commlink the moment he left Sanctuary. That way, he didn't have to deal with the idea of hearing that voice he had grown to love over the past few years.
"Brennan, please answer me."
Emma.
Why did she have to contact him? Why couldn't she just let him
leave? It was his fault that this whole mess happened. It would have
been so much easier if she would just let him go, and then accept the
new Brennan that would come, her Brennan, this world's
Brennan.
"Brennan, I know you can hear me. Please."
"Don't worry, Em. Everything's going to be fine. I'll fix this mess."
"No Bren, listen to me, don't do anything yet. Wait for us to get there. We're on our way. Please wait for us."
"We don't have much time. Adam…"
"Adam's
with you?" It was now Jesse's voice that was booming in his
commlink.
Frustration
was evident in the way he delivered his question. Brennan couldn't
blame him though. He knew how Jesse hated to be left out, betrayed in
situations like these.
"We have to leave. This isn't our world."
"Bren, please wait for us before you do anything." Emma again. Was that a plea, a desperate plea coming from a desperate person?
"Bren?"
No. There wasn't enough time. He had to do this, NOW. Before he changes his mind. He knew that the moment he sees her again, he would lose all courage and would prefer the world to be destroyed rather than to live without her. That he could accept the destruction of the planet, and the death of all of them, as long as he would die beside her.
"Brennan! Talk to me!"
"I'm sorry Em. I have to do this. I have to do this now."
Silence. Did he hear her sob? Was she crying? He never wanted her to cry. Never wanted to hurt her, put her in so much pain. But he had to do this.
"Em?"
Silence.
"I love you."
There. He finally said it. What a petty way to say goodbye. Brennan slowly placed his hand on his commlink to turn it off, when he heard a sad voice whisper to him one last time.
"I love you too."
