Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or X Men.

Imaginary Friend

Chapter 12

The next morning found Adam and Jesse hard at work digging into Cassandra Moore's background. Brennan silently entered the room, head down, hair uncombed, unshaven and shoulders slumped. "Anything, yet?" he sighed.

"Man, you look like hell," Jesse got up. "Come on, let's go talk." Jesse knew he was hurting and needed his support. He silently prayed again to find Shalimar. For as strong a man as Brennan was, Jesse had also seen the future Brennan and knew he would completely fall apart if anything happened to her.

Kitty found Bobby in the kitchen having breakfast. "Hey, Bob."

"Morning, Kit. How's Bryan?" He greeted between bites.

"He's wonderful," she answered brightly. "Are you doing ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Kitty sat next to him and placed her hand on his arm. "Bob, I know you. Talk to me."

"Kit, I'm fine. What's up?" he looked at her over his cup of coffee.

"Well, I heard you were in rare form last night. Is it going alright?"

"Yeah, no problem. I can handle this."

"Jesse gave me the impression you were really laying it on kind of thick."

"I have to. We have to find Shalimar. Did Jubilee put you up to this?" he eyed her suspiciously.

"No," she assured him. "I was just concerned. I don't want you to be influenced and not be in control."

"Well, you can rest easy. I'm in full control." He stood sharply. "I'll do whatever I have to until Shalimar is back home safely. She's the only one who's important right now." With that he turned and left the kitchen.

As the time for his date with Cassandra drew near, Bobby borrowed some clothes from Jesse and dressed for his part. With his directions to the restaurant and the keys to one of the cars he walked into the lab. "Any last minute instructions, Adam?"

Adam, Jesse and Brennan turned to see Bobby standing in the doorway. "Hey that shirt looks better on you than it does on me," Jesse remarked as Bobby just smirked.

"We know that she is definitely the same girl that knew Shalimar as a child. We also know about her powers. The filter that Evie erected for you should alert you to anything she might try on you. Your job is to gain her confidence so she will open up and tell you what she's done with Shal. Get close to her. My guess is that she's not had many relationships that she hasn't had to manipulate. She should eat up the affection. I hate to do this to her but she's left us no choice. Make sure you keep your earpiece in. We'll help in anyway we can but for right now, the ball's in your court. Go play."

With a nod of his head he turned and stopped short finding Kitty standing there with a sad look on her face. He briefly met her eyes. He knew he'd overreacted before and that he needed to clear the air with her but that would have to wait. For now he had a job to do. Without a word he stepped around her and headed for the garage.

"Hi, Shalimar. How are you feeling today?" Cassie looked around the room and found her curled into a ball on the chair.

"Cassie?" Shalimar timidly peeked out from under the blanket. "Cassie, you're here?"

"Of course, Shalimar. I'm your friend aren't I? I would never leave you." Cassie looked at her condition. "Have you been crying?" She watched as Shalimar pathetically nodded. "Why? What's wrong?" Shal didn't answer. "I know…You're upset because your fairytale ended and it wasn't a happy ending. Is that right?" She fought to keep a serious face as Shal nodded again. "Well, I told you. You tried to make up this one without me. If you had not left me, I would have been there for you and been able to help you. Don't you remember how all my fairytales made you feel better before you went to sleep? Remember all the good dreams you had?" Shal stared out blankly from under her cover. "Well, I told you that I'd help you…I will. Tonight I'll come and we'll work together to make a new fairytale for you. Would you like that?" Numbly Shal nodded again. "Good. Now you get some rest. I have a date with a very handsome guy." She nearly laughed at the way Shalimar turned a look on her. "Yes, I have a date. You shouldn't be surprised. I don't have to create fairytales for myself. I only make them up for you because of your…situation. Actually you know this young man. His name is Bobby. Remember, you tried to dance with him and take him away from me the other night? Well your little plan didn't work. He came back to the club and then asked me to spend the day with him. So…I'll be going now. I have to meet him soon. You just wait for me riiiight here, like a good little girl." With a nasty smirk Cassie turned and faded out of the room.

"Bobby," Shalimar whispered. "They know. They'll come for me." Then with a frightening look on her face she remembered and looked into the mirror once more. "Brennan…no…you can't…I can't let you…You can never know…" she whispered into her hands as she began to cry once more.

At the scheduled time, Bobby walked through the door of the club. Though closed for business at this early hour, the guard at the door was left a message to let him in. He walked in and stood on the empty dance floor in the middle of the room.

As if on cue Cassandra walked through the door near the bar. She walked onto the floor and turned in place as the skirt of her dress billowed out around her. "Do…you like it?" she asked with hesitation.

"You look beautiful," he obliged. "Are you ready for our afternoon?"

"Yes, I am," Her smile much brighter.

"Wow," a familiar voice called from behind the bar. Both turned to see Lisa bringing in a cart of clean glasses from the kitchen. "Don't you both look rather nice?"

"Thank you," Cassandra answered. "Bobby asked to take me out for lunch."

"Sounds great. Have fun," she called as they waved goodbye.

"Hey Lisa," Tony called to her as she watched the couple leave. "Lisa..." he came closer. "Li," he touched her shoulder.

With a sudden gasp, Lisa jumped at the unexpected feeling. "Oohh,…Tony," she panted with her hand over her heart.

"I'm sorry, Lis. I didn't mean to scare you. I was calling you and you seemed to be in another world." Tony caringly rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"That's ok. Really. You just took me by surprise. I guess that I was a little…lost in thought. I'm sorry…what did you need?"

"I just wanted to know where the fall lanterns were for the bar. Time to change the scenery," He said with a smile.

"I'll get them for you. I think I put them in the basement. Let me finish the inventory and I'll check."

An hour later, Brennan nervously paced as Bobby's com reverberated through the silent area. Jesse sat listening to every word waiting for something to go on. Adam and Evie passed through occasionally to check on any progress. Time seemed to move painfully slow for all of them. They listened as Bobby fabricated his life to her, ordered lunch and while they waited he flirted heavily, trying to gain her confidence. Finally as they ate their food he began asking her questions about her past. They compared notes with what Adam was able to dig up. Jesse became Bobby's fly in the ear again as he began feeding him more directing questions. Another hour and this was going no where.

Adam had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, thoughtfully listening, furrows on his brow ever deepening. "Bob, slowly start to work in conversation about mutants, see what she tells you. If she doesn't give you anything, let her know about your powers. Let's see if she opens up that way."

Lisa finished the inventory and prepared the cash register for the evening. She was checking over the work schedule as she ate a quick sandwich when Tony popped his head through her office door.

"Hey Li, when you look for the lanterns, check for the case of bar napkins. I can't find it and the opened one is running low."

"Lanterns and napkins, right. I'm on it." She quickly finished the last bite of sandwich as she stood and headed for the basement stairs. It was dark down there but after years of storing and retrieving seasonal items Lisa could walk it blind. Since she had been working closely with the older couple who hired her so many years before, she began making suggestion to improve the club. Suggestions on what to serve and how to work easier and her favorite part,…decoration. She loved to decorate for the holidays. Over the years they came to trust her with more and more responsibilities which put her in the position she now had as manager. She moved to the light and pulled the old chain, again vowing to herself to take some time and reorganize this place. She walked around the boxes to find the objects of her quest when she noticed in the far corner a small light twinkling on the side of the electric box. "What on Earth? Why is that on?" Just as she turned, she caught sight of the lanterns Tony wanted. Taking them she returned to the bar, making a note to go back and turn the light in the 'rot gut room' off.

"Good, you found them. I'll hang them now. It shouldn't take too long." Tony began spreading the lanterns out on the bar, untangling wires as he went.

"Tony," Lisa got a glass of water as he worked. "Have you been down in the 'rot gut' room for anything recently?"

"No, not in a long time. Why?"

"I haven't been either, but…the light is on." She took a rag and began to dust the lanterns.

"Oh, that must have been Cassandra," Tony stated. He didn't notice as Lisa froze.

Thoughts crashed through her mind as she filtered through everything Jesse had told her the night before.

TPC