"Shal," Brennan said on the other side of the feral's door a good hour after their altercation in the living room. "Shal, can we talk?"

Shalimar grunted in total annoyance knowing he was the last person she wanted to see at the moment.

"Shal?"

"Go away, Brennan."

"I'm not leaving 'til you talk to me, Shal."

Shalimar huffed her way over to the door and opened it to see an apologetic looking Brennan standing before her.

"What?" she asked making sure her complete frustration came through in her voice.

"I'm sorry. I guess I got carried away."

"You're not sorry," she surely informed as she turned to retreat back into her bedroom.

"What?" Brennan asked, following the feral into the room.

"You're not sorry. You're jealous."

"Well don't you think I have the right to be?"

"No," she answered, turning around to look him in the eyes. "I don't belong to you, Brennan, so stop acting like it."

"Then stop giving me a reason to."

"I won't be giving you anymore reasons from now on."

"What are you just gonna give it to Jesse now instead?"

"No," she answered, annoyed he was even suggesting the idea.

"Who then? Emma?"

"Whoever I decide or don't decide to be with is my business, not yours."

"So how long has this been going on between you two?"

"Were you not just listening to me? And there's not really anything anyway," she lowered her voice at the last statement, surprised she'd let the lie slip out.

"Oh please, Shal, I have eyes. What are you two using each other?"

"Excuse me?"

"An excuse to avoid your feelings for me."

"Brennan, as much as you wish it, the world and my world do not revolve exclusively around you."

"Shal-"

"Just go, Brennan. I don't know why that happened between us but I'm determined to find out."

"That's really nice, Shal," he said in complete sarcasm and hinted he was offended by her statement. "Just because something happens between us you think there's something wrong with you?"

"It's not that ok. I felt it."

"Well what's the difference? Why can't you just accept it?"

"Because it's not all real. I don't wanna have this conversation again right now. Get out."

Brennan's expression quickly changed to a very angry one as he turned to leave. Opening the door, he glanced back at the feral.

"You two just keep havin' fun together then."

He stepped out the door upon saying the words.

"What Emma and I do is not your concern, Brennan."

He turned halfway to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, funny how you knew I was talkin' about Emma," he remarked and sulked off down the hall by himself.

Shalimar was about to close the door but a familiar scent caught her attention and she turned to see Emma approaching from the opposite side of the hall looking fairly confused as she watched the angry elemental trotting off.

"Hi, Shal, is something wrong?" she asked, her eyes gesturing back to Brennan's back.

"Apparently."

Shalimar sighed and headed back into her room. Emma followed the feral and closed the door behind them wondering what she could even say to her friend at a time like this.

Shalimar's short patience and annoyance was clear to the psionic despite the hits she was getting off the feral. She stood across the room, as if trying to avoid the psionic and Emma noticed how their gazes hadn't met.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier," Emma began, walking over to sit on the edge of the feral's bed. She kept her eyes on the beautiful woman hoping she'd turn to look at her as well but Shalimar remained with her back to the psionic looking at the wall before her.

"It's ok," Shalimar finally responded in a sigh. "I know you're not really thinking clearly what with the…" she trailed off, wondering if she didn't know how to finish the statement or just didn't want to. "With everything that's been going on and all," she finally concluded.

"Yeah, Shal, I've been meaning to talk to you about that-"

"Emma," the feral began, finally turning around to face the redhead. "I really don't feel like discussing this right now." The thought of Emma being infected was turning her stomach with pain and she could barely stand to think about it much less discuss it face to face with her. The words from Emma's confessional note rushed back to her once more and she desperately wanted to get her mind onto anything else.

"I know, Shal, I just wanted you to know I'm not-"

"Shalimar, Emma?" Adam's voice came through the feral's comlink and for once she was grateful for his interruption.

"Yeah, Adam, what's up?" the feral questioned. She walked over to the bed and almost began to sit down but looked at the psionic and changed her mind, choosing to remain standing as it was probably a safer decision if she hoped to avoid the psionic's affections.

Emma lowered her head in sadness upon noticing the feral's efforts at avoiding her and tried to keep her hurt face from revealing itself to her.

"We're getting ready to go. Meet us in the Helix in five minutes."

"We'll be there, Adam. Hey did you run those tests for me?"

"Yeah. Why don't you stop by the lab?"

"I'm on my way," she replied and quickly headed for the door.

"Can I come with you?" Emma asked, pivoting her body towards the door.

"Oh, sure."

The two women made their way to the lab where Adam already stood with his coat on ready to leave.

"Hey, you two ready? The guys are already in the Helix," he informed and began to step past them.

"Wait, Adam, what about my tests?"

Adam sighed, knowing it wasn't the best idea to give her information she probably didn't want to hear right before the mission.

"Shalimar, I think this should wait until we get back. I have some solutions on how we can reverse the effects but we don't have time for it right now. When we get back from the mission we'll all sit down and go over what's been going on." He attempted to walk past the feral but her hand on his shoulder told him she didn't agree with his explanation.

"Adam, I need to know if I'm infected with this thing too."

"Shalimar, I told you, it's the team that's infected and loves you."

"They're all still infected even though they all deny it?"

"Yes."

Emma sighed at the words and looked away from them feeling too embarrassed to face either once of them.

"And what's wrong with me?" the feral questioned further.

"Shalimar-"

"What is it, Adam?"

"I think you did catch a bit of the psionic powers but not in the way the rest of the team has."

"Then how?"

"When they had you cornered and you were trying to protect Emma I think they may have altered you instincts. The good news is, it's only slightly and it doesn't seem to change your thoughts. Not like the rest of the team forcing you to do things you normally wouldn't. it only happens occasionally your instincts sort of escalade."

"Wait what do you mean altered my instincts?

"Like it might be harder than normal for you to control them because you're a feral. Might have something to do with that whole scene with Brennan though he is infected himself."

"How do we reverse it?"

"I'm working on it. Right now we need to get going. We'll discuss it further when we get back."

"Wait, Adam, isn't there something I can do?" Emma questioned, hoping she could help her friend. "I'm a psionic couldn't I use my powers to reverse Shalimar's affects?"

"I'm not sure how it would turn out since you yourself are infected as well. I told you we'll sort it all out when we get back. Let's get going."

Adam began to lead to the way to the Helix and Shalimar looked to Emma before quickly looking away. The psionic followed the feral being glad she was behind her as to hide her deeply saddened face still holding back unshed tears from the day's events.