Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or X Men.
Imaginary Friend
Chapter 27
In a matter of moments they saw Shalimar open her eyes and blink from the sudden brightness of the room. Covering her eyes with her arms, she rolled and groaned.
Jesse's heart had been beating a mile a minute as he waited for her to wake. Now he smiled, moved to her side and knelt by the sofa she was laying on. "Even in the middle of the afternoon you hate to get up? Come on…wake up for me."
Shalimar groaned out his name in half conscious protest. But when full consciousness arrived, along with it came full awareness. She hissed as she suddenly sat up in full alert and completely feral. Not home… that much was clear to her. Trembling she pushed herself as far back on the sofa as the cushioning would allow. Golden eyes darted from one side of the room to the other trying to reorient.
"Shalimar…it's ok…Look at me…" Jesse coaxed. He smiled when she turned to him. "That's it…let it go…You know I won't let anything happen to you… I'm here…" Slowly he reached one hand out to his side. "Adam's here, too."
Adam slowly moved next to Jesse and lowered himself to his knees in front of her. "Shalimar…it's ok, Sweetheart…you're ok…"
Golden eyes darted again then glanced at Jesse. Finally they settled on Adam. Letting go, her feral side retreated for a while. The brown eyes that finally looked out at her 'father' were tear-filled and frightened. "Adam?" her voice shook and she fell against him as he embraced her.
"It's ok…you're alright…you're going to be alright…" Adam met Jesse's eyes as Jesse reached over and smoothed down her hair.
Shalimar looked up from Adam's shoulder and looked at Jesse. "Where are we? I was home in my bed…How did we get here?"
Adam shifted his position as he helped her to sit back on the sofa. He sat by her side. Jesse moved to sit close on the other. Both men kept an arm around her, Adam at her shoulders and Jesse at her waist. "Shalimar, these are my very close friends; Professor Charles Xavier…" Adam gestured one hand out toward the professor.
Charles maneuvered his wheelchair closer and smiled at her. "It is a great pleasure to meet you, My Dear."
"And Doctor Jean Summers…" he smiled as he turned to introduce Jean.
"It's nice to meet you," Jean said as she slowly extended her hand in greeting. She was so pleased when Shalimar took her hand and gave her a slight smile.
"Adam, why are we here?" Shal persisted. "What happened?"
"What's the last thing you remember?" Adam asked sweetly.
"I…I remember…finishing the bottle of champagne with Jesse and we…" Shalimar turned with a smile to her best friend then suddenly stopped. She looked at him and frowned. Slowly she reached her hand up to his face and let her fingers lightly brush against his cheek and slide up into his much longer hair. "Jesse,…what happened…" Turning with shock and more fear, her voice shook again. "Adam, what's happened?"
"Shalimar, listen to me and believe me you're going to be just fine. You were hurt…and…some of your memory is… gone." Adam could feel her beginning to startle and turned to hold her with both hands. "No, listen, you're going to be ok. Don't be afraid."
"Memory…but I'm not hurt…"she turned again and looked into Jesse's eyes. "How old am I?" she whispered to him.
Jesse's eyes were sad as they looked to Adam and saw him nod. "Shal, you're…28." He heard her gasp and tried to hold her when she pulled away and stood up sharply.
She walked across the room with her head down. "28…can't be…" she turned quickly and looked at Jesse. "But last night…I know what happened last night…Last night you and I…"
"We snuck the bottle of champagne from Adam's stock and drank toast after toast to you for your birthday." Jesse completed the memory then looked slightly embarrassed at telling on them after so many years. He shrugged when Adam met his eyes with a grinning glare.
"We knew we wouldn't get caught because…" Shalimar continued the confession.
"I was away for the weekend at a symposium. I left right after we came home from dinner." Adam looked at Charles then back to Jesse. "Shalimar, that all happened, just as you remember…but it wasn't yesterday." He watched as she turned a look of deep confusion on him. "I brought you here because Charles is a mutant. He's telepathic and he can help you to reconstruct your memories of the last 8 years."
"8 years…8 years, Adam, that's not possible." Shalimar stood by the window with her arms wrapped tightly around herself.
Jean,
Yes, Professor. "If you will excuse me, I will return shortly." Jean shared a momentary glance with Jesse then turned to leave the office.
"Shalimar," Jesse walked to her. He could see the confusion and the tears that threatened to break free. He embraced her and smoothed her hair as she laid her head on his shoulder. "It's ok, the professor can help. Will you let him?" He smiled into her hair when finally she nodded against him.
"Jean will be returning with some of the people who live here with me. This is a school for all those gifted as we are. I would like you to meet them. No one here will harm you. Mutant X will be staying the night as we prepare to help you restore your memory. Will that be alright with you?" Charles watched as she moved closer and looked back at Jesse then to Adam.
Shalimar wasn't sure about anything right now. She was confused and that made her scared. "Adam…"
Adam stood and walked to her side. Lovingly taking her by the shoulders he got very close to her and looked into her eyes as he whispered. "We're all staying. Jesse and I would never let anything happen to you. Do you understand that?" He waited for her to acknowledge. When he saw her begin to nod he continued. "No one here will hurt you. Believe that. No one."
Again she nodded then turned to the professor. "Thank you," she whispered as she moved back to stand with Jesse.
Jean went to find Scott. After having explained to him, they picked up the children and went off to find the rest. Gathering them was easy. Telling them was the hard part.
"The professor spent 4 hours and was able to restore early memories. He had Adam and Jesse in when he woke her and she took right to them."
"What! Why didn't he call me?" Brennan was pacing anyway. This stopped him in his tracks.
"Brennan, please, getting angry isn't going to accomplish anything." Evie tried to sooth.
"She wouldn't know you." Jean looked sadly into his eyes. "I'm sorry. She doesn't know any of us. Charles and I had to be reintroduced. He only restored her memory up until the age of 20."
Brennan's shoulders slumped and his head dropped as he said with a sigh, "She was 22 when I met her."
"Charles stopped there to give her the evening to rest. He wants all of us to be reintroduced so she won't be afraid of strangers while she's here. It took some work for Jesse and Adam to calm her down and explain why she wasn't in her room at home."
"Everyone isn't here," Logan said looking around the room.
"We explained that this is a school. She can meet Ro and the others as she might come across them this evening. I think that she'll be fine once she realizes there are many friendly faces here." Jean eyes suddenly went hollow as she seemed to stare at the floor. "The professor wants us to meet in the Library. He thinks it's a little more casual there."
In the hall outside the library everyone gathered. The door was closed but Charles knew they were there. Jean, please send in Kitty and Bryan first. I want to take this as slowly as possible.
Shalimar sensed the people on the other side of the door. With her feral senses on high she could smell the nervousness coming from both sides of the door. She looked at Jesse and could tell he was worried. She also picked up on hints of sadness and…fear…and something else…something feral. The door opened and she saw a small woman walk in holding a newborn. Feral instinct took over once again but this time it was the instinct to protect and nurture. A warmth washed over her as she walked toward them.
"Shalimar," Jesse moved to join them. "This…is Kitty," he watched carefully to judge her reaction as he continued, "my wife."
Shalimar's head snapped back like lightning. She looked at him in shock at first. Slowly she turned back to the woman. Her glare softened as she could sense the truth of his words. Her attention turned to the child. "Then…this is…"
"Bryan," Kitty offered. With complete trust she held the baby out for Shalimar to take.
Shal took the child and cuddled him with the instincts of a mother. With glistening eyes she looked back to Jesse. "He feels just like you."
The door opened again and Evie walked in with Nadene. Shalimar watched with surprise as they walked to stand beside Adam.
Proudly he reached to take his daughter from Evie as he introduced them.
"Oh,…my God…" Shalimar looked at Evie then reach out a hand to hold Nadene's. "They are so beautiful…I can't believe I don't remember anything about them."
"You will, Child. You have my word." Charles stated confidently. "You just do not now because it was necessary to stop to give your mind the chance to rest. When we continue tomorrow, you will have regained all your memories and truly remember everything dear to you."
Out in the hall, Jean moved to Brennan's side. "You can do this."
"I'm not so sure."
"Just go in and try to smile. It's only for tonight. She needed a break. Tomorrow she'll have all of her memories back. It will be ok." Jean lovingly squeezed his arm as she turned him toward the door.
Jesse met Adam's eyes as they silently joined in a prayer.
Kitty nonchalantly walked over and took back her son as he began to squirm. As un-alarmingly as she could she strolled back until she was standing behind Charles. Adam turned with a slight nod to his wife.
Brennan, Evie called to him.
The door opened again. Shalimar's eyes widened as a very tall, very handsome man walked in. Jesse quickly moved to her side as she began to step back. He put his arm around her waist and could feel her tremble. "Shal, this…is Brennan."
Brennan put his hands in his pockets to keep them still as he fought the urge to run to her and embrace her. With Herculean effort he managed a small smile and a steady voice. "Hello, Shal."
"With the exception of Charles," Adam stepped to Brennan's side, "this is Mutant X now. We've grown a little." His smile turned to a frown when he saw her begin to shake her head. "Shalimar?"
Jesse stepped in front of her and took her arms as she covered her face with her hands. "Shal, what is it?"
Slowly she moved her head from side to side. "I don't know…I feel…I don't know…It's strange...can't control it." Her head jerked up and she dropped her hands as her breathing became ragged.
Jesse grabbed her shoulders firmly when he saw her eyes change. "Shalimar…Shal…don't…No…Look at me!" he commanded.
She stepped back and pulled out of his hold as she trained her stare at the tall man across the room.
"Jess, let her go," Adam called softly.
Shalimar stalked closer. She could hear the changes in the breathing of almost everyone around her. Her feral hearing picked up the increased heart rates.
Brennan Charles opened his communication to Jesse and Adam as well. Stand still. She isn't afraid. This is her feral nature sensing something about you.
They all watched as Shalimar approached. Gracefully, she moved across the floor then circled the object of her attention. Stopping in front of him, she slowly began to raise her hand. Reaching up, it hovered a mere inch from his cheek.
So close…she was so close…he could feel the heat of her skin next to his. Brennan gazed bravely and directly into her golden feral eyes. Eyes he loved so much.
Suddenly aware, Shalimar pulled her hand away as her eyes turned brown. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she turned and moved back to Jesse's side, grateful for the familiar warmth of his embrace.
Brennan turned away so she couldn't see the pain he knew he couldn't hide. Evie move closer and place her arm in his. The feral in her recognizes you.
Jean opened the door in response to the professor's call. With her came a small group of people.
Shalimar smiled, distracted as a running toddler zipped passed her. "Another child?"
Jean and Scott walked closer. Thomas ran and jumped on his grandpa's lap as he reached for Nadene to join him. Shalimar almost laughed at their joy as Adam gently placed Nadene on the professor's lap by Thomas' side.
"This one is mine," Jean explained, "his name is Thomas and this is my husband, Scott." Scott nodded politely. "This is Jubilee and Bobby," Jean continued then turned further. "And this is Logan. There are others but…" She stopped when she thought she heard something but disregarded it and continued. "But they are tending to the children who are students here."
Jesse heard it and turned to look at Shalimar. She was looking directly at Logan. Jesse looked at Logan's passive expression then back to Shal. He knew he heard something. Logan must have heard it. or my ears are going, he thought. Jesse looked at Adam and knew his ears were fine. Adam almost looked panicked for a brief moment and quickly calmed his expression. Jesse slowly turned to see Brennan glaring at Logan. He knew that if Brennan was to lose it at that moment, Logan would have found his mutation struggling to heal holes burned clean through him.
Logan, Charles entered his mind.
Chuck,…I didn't do anything. Outside Logan just looked down at his boots but could still feel her eyes on him and hear the growl she was emoting but in a much lower range. She had lowered it immediately when she realized the others could hear it.
I know you did nothing. Her feral instincts are on high and…ferals attract. I am sorry, My Friend. I should have realized.
TBC
