Sorry its taken so long to update. I'm suffering from glandular fever at the moment so have very little energy to do anything right now. Please take the time to review, and thank you to those of you who have reviewed already.
Jesse pushed the door open to a bar a couple of blocks away from Shalimar's apartment and stepped in, out of the warm breeze of the summer night air. He walked towards the bar and slumped into a bar stool. He looked just like any other customer, but none of them had just had the daughter of a friend kidnapped by an evil organisation which wanted to kill him and his friends. He smirked at how complex and unbelievable his life was. It hadn't always been this strange, but now he was working for the CIA with his girlfriend, a new mutant who could create the most fantastic light displays ever. His life was different from other people's lives, he thought to himself as he ordered a beer.
He turned around as Lexa walked through the door. She looked exhausted and weak and he had the distinct feeling that she needed to sleep more than anything. He loved when she was feeling vulnerable, mostly because he was the only one who ever saw her at those moments. They were private to him, and him alone and even though he loved strong women, always had he loved her even more when he knew she needed protecting. He smiled at her, catching her eye and she walked towards him. She stepped straight into his outstretched arms and stood there, relishing his warmth. She loved hugging Jesse, he always managed to fit her so perfectly, it was like they slotted together. Eventually she pulled away and ordered a beer. She needed the alcohol, the day had been too long and too hard.
'Any luck?' Lexa asked Jesse, getting down to business as she took a stool next to his.
'No. I talked to a couple of contacts but they've heard nothing. You?'
'Nothing. It looks like, for once the Dominion made an impetuous move.'
Their heads shot up in unison to look at the door as it opened. Brennan walked in. Jesse frowned as he saw Shalimar through the window. She was leaning against the glass and there was smoke rising from in front of her.
'I didn't know she smoked,' he said, as Brennan walked over to them.
'She only does when she's under extreme pressure,' he replied, citing her exact words. 'And right now seems like as good a time as any. She didn't want to come in, I think the night airs keeping her from breaking down too much so I didn't push it.'
'Probably a good idea. We don't wanna force her into doing anything she's not happy with,' Lexa said, knowing that she was completely unaware of the emotions going through Shalimar's mind at that moment.
They descended into silence after Brennan had ordered some drinks, all of them lost in their own personal moments. They didn't even hear the door of the bar open, or hear the sound of footsteps walking across the floor towards them. It was only when she reached them and cleared her throat that they noticed she was present.
'I'm in,' Shalimar stated, her voice flat and lifeless, not knowing if everyone was all caught up on what she was talking about, not really caring.
'What?' Jesse asked.
'This whole taking down the Dominion thing. I'm in.'
'Shal, maybe you should sleep on this, you know, think about it a little more,' Brennan said, after a short pause.
'Yeah, he's right. You're reacting to what happened by wanting to take action and we all understand that but maybe you should take the time to consider what it is you're signing on for,' Lexa said, placing her hand on Shalimar's arm.
She looked around at them. She appreciated their concern for her, it was almost like old times, with everyone trying to protect her in some way from something.
'If it'll make you happy I'll sleep on it. But my decision will be the same as it is now.'
'And that brings up another issue,' Brennan said. 'Where are we going to sleep?'
'Its a CIA safehouse, one that hasn't been in operation for a couple of years,' Jesse said as he turned the car onto Amsterdam Avenue. They had been driving for just a few minutes and he was trying to break the awkward, unwelcome silence which hung over everyone like a black cloud waiting to break. Lexa was currently bleeding from a head wound in the passenger seat, Brennan had given up trying to comfort Shalimar and was now sitting sullenly behind Jesse and Shalimar hadn't said a word since she had made her announcement regarding the taking apart of the Dominion. She was staring out of the window, her eyes not focused on anything. It worried him more than anything else. He had expected her to join the team again, to get her daughter back and to gain a little revenge for herself but the silence scared the hell out of him. Shalimar had always been the sort of person who verbalised her emotions, she had never been one to hide what she was feeling but now she wasn't talking to anyone, she was just getting more and more bogged down in whatever inner conflict was taking place inside of her head.
'Its got a couple of rooms,' Jesse continued, getting slightly more desperate in his quest to make the other people in the car say something. 'We should be able to stay there for atleast a few days until we work out what our next plan of action is.' He trailed off, accepting the quiet as a permanent fixture. He turned his head quickly as he felt the heat of Lexa's hand on his. He smiled at her, knowing that she understood him perfectly. He forced himself to look away from her as he turned back to the road in front of him. This time, atleast for him the silence wasn't awkward, it was something he shared with Lexa.
He turned the car right into West 69th Street and from there turned left into an underground car park. The dark, away from the harsh streetlights enveloped them. The occasional overhead lit up the contours of their faces. The car pulled to a stop as Jesse found a space and the engine cut out. It woke Shalimar out of her daydream. She hadn't been thinking about the reappearance of Mutant X or the Dominion, or even the sudden disappearance of Taylor. If she was being honest she hadn't been thinking about anything. She felt guilty about that but her mind had wandered onto different subjects of thought, ones that didn't require her to breakdown. She pushed the car door open and grabbed her bag which had been on the seat next to her before getting out. She looked around her, her eyes searching the farthest corners and crevices of the car park. She didn't sense anyone else in the near vicinity and she instinctually relaxed. She smiled weakly at how little she had changed since her Mutant X days. She had always been careful, even before Adam had picked her up, but at that moment in time she was more aware of everything, maybe even a little paranoid. She jumped at the sound of the three other car doors slamming in the silence. She had forgotten where she was. She shut her own door and waited for Lexa to take the lead. Shalimar followed, swinging her bag over her shoulder. She affected a tough girl demeanor but the complete lack of eye contact gave her away. She had always acted harder than she really was. In the beginning it had been a way of intimidating people who didn't think girls could kick ass but as things got harder and more secrets, deceptions were revealed she had used it to hide herself from the people who knew her.
Lexa reached the elevator and pushed the button with her index finger. Exhaustion was catching up with her but she forced her shoulders back. She figured everyone else was acting, why shouldn't she? When the elevator appeared she walked in, making her steps steady and even, not allowing her tiredness to show through. She leant casually against the wall but the feeling of something solid against her aching back was a relief to her. Jesse hit the button which would take them to the seventh floor. She had been in the apartment only once before but she knew that it was beautiful. It looked like a show home but that wasn't the part she loved. The fact that it was several different kinds of flashy didn't make a blind bit of difference to her. She only cared for the view. There were French windows leading off of the lounge and if they were opened and one were to walk out onto a balcony which looked out on West 69th Street they could look along the street to see Central Park, a slice of nature in a huge city; or they could look along the street in the other direction and they would catch glimpses of the Hudson. She loved that view, especially when the sun happened to be shining and glimmering off the water of the river. She smiled at the memory of it, her eyes lighting up at the thought of waking up to that picture.
Eventually the seventh floor was reached and they all trooped out of the elevator, along the corridor. Lexa stuck a key into the lock of the door leading to her dream apartment and pushed it open. She looked around her. She had remembered it exactly. Everything was in the same place, nothing had changed. She liked the thought that some things stayed the same despite a million and one external differences.
'There are two bedrooms, both with double beds,' she said, one of the problems she had anticipated presenting itself to everyone else.
'I'll take the sofa,' Brennan offered, dumping his bag on the floor as he looked around him. He was impressed, compared to his apartment this place was a palace.
'Okay, we'll see you guys in the morning,' Lexa said, looking pointedly at Jesse as she took his hand and led him through the apartment. Jesse was an intuitive guy but he still couldn't sense awkward moments like a woman.
An awkward silence reasserted itself, filling the air, making it thick and heavy. She walked forward towards the French windows. She unlocked them and pushed them open relishing the cool feel of the air as it hit her skin. She removed her jacket, dropping it over the back of a chair. She raised her head to look up above her. The atmosphere had been building throughout the day and she could feel a storm in the air. She breathed it in, enjoying the uncertainty and tension. She couldn't wait for it to break.
She turned around to face Brennan, leaning against the beam which separated her from the drop to the ground below. For the first time in a long time she made eye contact, staring into the brown eyes which had always made her feel comforted and content. She was amazed to find that they helped even at that moment. She could feel her mood calm itself and she became more mellow. He walked towards her, his jacket falling to the floor behind him as he shrugged it off. His jeans hung low on his hips and his t shirt showed off his physique. She subtly appreciated it, she had missed him in more ways than one. He leant against the beam next to her and raised his head to look up to the sky.
He felt the first drops of rain hit his face. They were cold and they cooled his blood which had been boiling ever since the attack. He turned towards Shalimar as she held her arms out to her sides. He could tell how much she was enjoying the rain. It gradually became harder, the downpour setting in. Her hair gradually became damper until it started dripping down her body. He watched her as, with closed eyes she turned her face to the sky. He stared at her for what felt like eternity. She was so beautiful. How he could have forgotten that he would never know. He ran his hand through his hair which was becoming flatter by the second as the rain plastered it to his head. He had forgotten how much trouble the feral could get him in.
She opened her eyes and looked at him, watching her. She moved towards him, wanting someone to hold her, wanting someone to make her feel like she belonged somewhere. Ever since she had left Mutant X she had felt detached, distant, separated from everything around her.
She reached her hand out to touch his cheek and he closed his eyes as he felt her skin against his. He had missed her touch more than she knew. He opened his eyes again and he raised his own hand to brush away a dripping strand of hair. He pushed it behind her ear. He left his hand where it was as they stared at each other. In unison they moved closer, their lips meeting as rain covered the city. They drank each other in, not knowing for how much longer they would have each other. Hands grabbed at skin and clothes and hair. Brennan lifted Shalimar and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her through the apartment into the second bedroom. They fell onto the bed, limbs tangling, clothes ripping in their desperation. As the downpour calmed itself into a heavy drizzle they fell asleep in each others arms.