"Come on Emma! Keep up!"

Shalimar's bright voice echoed down to her from higher up the mountain. It was a beautiful day, the sky a vivid blue and the sun an orb of blazing white catching even the darkest corners in its glorious illumination. Everything shone with a radiant aura and a fresh breeze coursed like a stream over the mountains.

In short, it was a perfect day to be out walking.

Emma shot a smile at her friend, "Not all of us have that feral stamina remember!" Shalimar raised her eyebrows and smirked. "And some of us need more exercise!" Emma gave a gasp of fake horror,

"I do not!"

"Face it Emma, you may work out mentally more than most, but when it comes getting physical you're a little…" Shalimar paused, her eyes sparkling, "scrawny".

Widening her eyes, Emma formed with a thought, a sparkling ball of energy in front of her forehead. Smiling slightly she challenged, "Come down here and say that."

Looking down on her, Shal grinned before performing a perfect flip over the side of the ledge she was standing on to land neatly in front of Emma. Her irises contracted with a feral glow as she asked playfully, "Think you can take me?" Emma tried to maintain a serious expression, the star of mental energy she would never use against her friend glimmered and sparkled in front of her, "Sure, everyone knows ferals are easy if you think first."

Shalimar shifted her stance ever so slightly, her eyes gleamed with mischief, "And everyone knows psychotics can't do anything but think."

Emma narrowed her eyes in fake seriousness, "Bimbo"

"Baby"

"Brute"

"Barbie"

"Blonde" Shalimar shook her head,

"Below the belt there Emma." Suddenly her friend dived at her and she was flat on her back, Shal standing over her with a broad smile and an outstretched hand, "Still think you can take me?"

Emma took the offered hand and pulled herself up wincing ruefully, "Anytime."

Shalimar smirked slightly before good-humouredly squeezing her shoulder, "Well scrawny or not, if we don't get a move on we won't reach the top today." She smiled and Emma returned the expression, gesturing with one hand. "After you."

Watching her friend scamper up the mountainside (there could be no other term), Emma was caught in a wave of sadness. The truth was, she'd suggested this outing to Shalimar today as a way of saying goodbye. No, she had no intention of telling her about….what was going to happen. But she needed some peace of mind as to their friendship. She needed to know Shal would be okay, if-no when she survived Emma's death.

Her talk with Brennan had reassured her on his account. She knew he cared about her, that he would grieve for her, but at the same time, he would be alright. Now she just had to settle things with the others before the day arrived when...

Okay, so maybe she wasn't ready yet. She knew she was going to die, at least she did logically. But being out here, having such a heart-warmingly normal time with her friend, she felt like she'd live forever. It was like being a kid again, she could hear all about death and how inevitable it was for her, but something in her mind, maybe a part of that stubborn human survival instinct, refused to grasp the concept. And somehow, she couldn't be sorry for that.

"Hello! Emma! You coming?" Shal had got ahead again unsurprisingly. Smiling, Emma started to climb up after her. Shal paused briefly, allowing her to catch up somewhat before she all but flew off again. A feral in her natural environment, Emma allowed herself a hidden smile at her own choice of words. The pure delight radiating from Shalimar was refreshing, like being with a child at Christmas. The joy was contagious, and Shal was practically glowing with it. She relaxed her mental barriers for once, let her mind become a little more receptive and just enjoyed this rare moment with her friend.

About an hour later they'd reached the top. Shal was lying along the edge of the cliff-face, one arm hanging off and staring down into the valley miles and mile below. Emma relaxed in her customary lotus pose, not meditating as much as just enjoying the peace and quiet. The breeze twisted and curled about them, strangely still quite light, just strong enough to be revitalizing. They sat there for a while, saying nothing, each lost in her own thoughts. Finally Shalimar sat up, Emma felt her stare rather than saw it.

"Emma…"

She opened her eyes and met her friend's gaze, "Yes Shal?"

"What's going on?" Emma frowned slightly,

"What do you mean?"

"This…" Shalimar gestured about her, "Why did you suddenly want to come up here today?"

"Is it wrong to want to spend time with my friends?"

"No…" Shal bit her lip, she was worried? "But for the last few weeks you've been avoiding us all, it's been hard to even carry on a conversation lasting more than a few minutes. And then out of the blue you want to take a hike up a mountain? It just strikes me as odd I guess."

Emma considered, Shal was right. The truth was she'd felt so guilty being around them all, thinking of how their lives could be ruined, because of her. "Maybe I needed to work through some stuff."

"Stuff?"

It was like talking to Brennan, but Shalimar knew her too well. It would be hard to put her off. Maybe she didn't need to, there were so many things she needed to settle before she…died. So much to do and say, and work out. Shalimar was the best friend she'd ever had, if anyone could help ease her mind, she could.

Emma nodded, turning to face her, "So much has happened in the last couple of years, I guess it's all caught up to me." No lie, she'd thought about so much over the last few weeks it made her head spin. And now, with ten days to go before she never did anything again, she felt she needed to reconcile herself with her life.

"Want to talk about it?" Emma smiled, blinking back tears, and said simply,

"Yes."

And so she talked. She talked about her family and how she missed them sometimes. About her new family and how she worried about them and with them and for them. She talked about her powers, how she couldn't do without them, but wasn't sure how to live with them. She talked about Tyler, her soul mate who she still loved and would always love. She talked about those they'd saved, and cried for those they hadn't. She talked about those who were dead for her and to her and because of her. About the blood on her hands and the guilt on her soul. She talked about her loves and losses and longings, her dearest dreams and darkest dreads. She talked until the sun had long gone and they really should have left hours ago.

And all the time Shalimar stayed with her, content just to listen, not interrupting or judging, not condemning or condoning, offering no absolution and giving criticism. Just listening and letting her talk. And when she was done, Shal wasn't angry, or confused or disappointed. She just reached out, and stroking Emma's hair said softly, "Are you ready to go home now?"

And she was ready at last.