Relation to other stories: Stand Alone.

Setting: Setting is part of the Mutant X storyline and will be revealed in the story.

Disclaimer: Characters aren't owned by me but were kind enough to appear in my story.

Warnings: There might be a bit of slash and implied slash here but it's not the plot nor focus of the story.

Whispers In My Soul

"You better be careful," Emma's playful and warning voice informed as she grinned at the feral on the small stone platform. "You're gonna fall in."

Shalimar grinned back at the psionic and continued making her way across the small bridge like structure. The fish were visible in the lake beneath her as her agile body made it's way slowly across the very slim structure. With careful steps she approached the psionic still on the surface. She flashed a triumphant smile as she was nearly at the surface herself.

Emma's admiring eyes watched as the feral stepped closer adoring the graceful way her body moved. Shalimar's eyes flickered up to catch the psionic's for a moment and she caught her breath at the loving admiration she saw in the blue gems. She probably shouldn't have looked up at the red head for the task caused her to lose her footing and the slippery stone beneath her feet didn't help keep her up either. Emma tried not to grin as the feral splashed into the water below.

"Shal, are you alright?" Emma asked allowing herself to chuckle upon seeing for herself she wasn't really hurt.

Shalimar shook her wet hair out and looked to the psionic from her seated position in the water. It was only about two feet or so of water but she still couldn't help but be a little embarrassed at falling in like that. She flashed a slightly disappointed though exaggerated face at the psionic who only laughed harder at the sight.

"I told ya so," Emma reminded. "Very graceful, Ms. Feral," she joked.

Shalimar stood up and squeezed the bottom on her black tank top to ring out some of the water it had absorbed in her fall. She reached behind her neck to pull her hair forward and ring it out as well. When it wasn't as drenched she swung the now more flattened blond locks back over her shoulder. She turned her eyes back to Emma, flashing them yellow as she caught her gaze and began to slowly step towards her, splashing her way to the waterfront.

"Shal, don't you dare," Emma warned backing up slowly as the feral continued her approach on her. "I mean it, Shalimar," Emma laughed at the playful stance of the feral but continued moving away to keep a safe distance between them.

Stepping foot onto dry land Shalimar grinned at the psionic; her intentions clear as she quickened her approach.

"Shalima-" Emma stopped as she backed up into a tree. She placed her hands up in an effort to halt the feral from closing in on her any further. It was no use however as Shalimar, now only a few steps from her, continued to advance her predator eyes never straying from the psionic.

Emma shifted from her position against the tree and began to continue to back up from the incoming feral. As Shalimar took a long stride towards her she quickly stepped back losing her footing and tripping over a rock. She expected to fall hard to the ground but instead found Shalimar's arms quickly wrapping themselves around her waist and assisting her to the soil beneath.

Blue eyes opened once again when it struck her she didn't smash into the ground. She looked up into the flashing yellow gems only a few inches from her own face and realized it was all Shalimar's doing that she hadn't felt any collision with the earth.

"Now who's the clumsy one?" Shalimar asked returning her eyes to their normal golden brown.

Shalimar's Cheshire cat grin eased Emma's nerves and she looked between them realizing for the first time her hand was rubbing the feral's side a little too slowly and tenderly. Deciding she'd better do something before the moment became awkward she placed her hands onto the ground and began to push herself up forcing the feral to back off her as well. She stood up and began to whip the dirt of her blue jeans and top and checked her arms noticing she'd cut her wrist upon falling to the ground. She was now slightly damp after having the feral's wet body pressing against her own. Removing her hair tie she pulled her red locks from their ponytail and shook the bits of dirt out.

Shalimar's eyes seemed to widen as she watched the beauty tend to herself. She wanted to run her hands through her flowing red hair herself and let her fingers walk up and down her body to clean her off. Realizing she had some dirt in her own hair she began to flip her hair in her hand to remove it.

Emma's laughed and watched the feral's movements.

"Gives all new meaning to the term 'dirty blonde' huh?"

"I guess it does."

Emma pulled her hair back and began to wrap her tie around it again. Shalimar watched with lustful eyes as the action of raising her arms caused Emma's breasts to do the same catching the feral's immediate attention. It came to her attention she was staring just in time and she managed to turn her admiring eyes towards the ground as Emma looked back over to her.

"It's getting late," the psionic informed. "Are we gonna head home now?"

"Yeah. I'm getting kinda hungry," Shalimar agreed catching the gleam off the psionic's skin as the sun beat down through the trees onto her appetizing flesh.

"Me too. Let's go."

Shalimar offered no protest and followed the psionic back to their car behind the picnic tables admiring the graceful and beautiful way the red head moved the entire way.

Before Shalimar could step into the car she found herself surrounded by sudden darkness. Confusion raced through her mind and she sat herself up to look around noticing she was in fact in her bedroom. The clock on her nightstand informed her it was quarter past three in the morning and let herself sink back to the pillow beneath her staring up into the empty darkness.

She thought about the dream. Thought about when it happened a few weeks ago when her and Emma took the day off to go fishing and hiking. She hadn't thought of that day in about a week and the pleasant memory brought a smile to her feminine features.

As she lie in bed reminiscing about her day with her friend she turned her head suddenly as an unknown, soft sound was picked up by her feral ears. Curiosity quickly took her over and she listened for any hints of the sound being repeated. Silence was evident for a few moments and then a soft, barely audible shushing sound was heard. Who would be shushing her? Especially since the room was basically dead quiet and no one else was in there with her. But the noise came again seeming to emanate from the doorway. She thought she heard it longer this time almost as if it was saying her name but it was too difficult to make out.

After a few moments she felt herself growing restless and slid from the mattress to walk over to her door. She carefully opened it and headed down the hall past the living room and towards the kitchen as she was now thirsty from dreaming all night.

As she stepped into the kitchen a familiar and pleasant scent caught her nose, relaxing her with the thoughts it provided. She walked over to the fridge to see Emma already standing in front of it with the door open.

"Don't cha hate it when you can't make up your mind?" Emma asked turning back to scan the contents of the fridge.

Shalimar smiled and braced her forearm on the refrigerator door. She looked over the red head in her white tank top and pants. It never ceased to amaze her how the psionic could roll out of bed and still seem to radiate such beauty and light and manage to smell as alluring as ever.

"So what are you doing up?" Emma asked the smiling feral and bent over to search through the middle shelf for a satisfying snack.

Shalimar smiled and let her eyes trail over the newly exposed skin of the psionic's back. She herself wished she could have a snack at the sight.

"I couldn't sleep," she informed. "I thought I heard someone calling me. Calling my name."

"Wasn't me," Emma stated. She pulled a small dish out of the back and closed the fridge setting it on the nearby counter. "Want some lasagna?"

"Sure." Shalimar smiled in gratitude as Emma cut a couple pieces of the left over lasagna. Shalimar opened the cabinet and reached a couple plates and placed them beside the psionic. Emma placed both pieces of lasagna on one plate and put it into the microwave beginning to heat them up. Shalimar took out a couple forks, knives, and napkins and set them on the counter as well.

"What do you want to drink?" Emma asked opening the fridge once again.

"Um, a bottled water is fine."
Emma smiled and removed two bottled waters and set them on the counter.

"So you can't sleep either?" the psionic questioned keeping and eye on their food in the microwave.

"No I was having dreams all night. I guess that's how I worked up this appetite."

"What were you dreaming about?" Emma inquired leaning against the counter.

Shalimar tried to concentrate on her answer but the sight of the psionic leaning against the counter was more distracting that she'd imagined. Not that she should've been shocked. Emma always turned her head even when she wore baggy clothes and didn't brush her hair wish wasn't very often at all. Just being in her sleep clothes turned the feral on and even though she was standing under the kitchen fan she felt herself building up a sweat.

"I don't remember all of them," Shalimar finally answered. "But one of them was of us when we went fishing a couple weeks ago."

"Oh yeah," Emma laughed. "That was a fun day."

"Yeah. I had to wash my hair twice to get that lake smell out."

Emma laughed as she pictured the events from that day and turned to remove the lasagna from the microwave. She fixed a plate for herself and Shalimar and headed over to the table to sit down, the feral following her actions.

"So you excited about tomorrow?" Emma asked as they sat down at the table.

Shalimar chuckled at the question lifting her fork to taste the homemade lasagna from dinner the previous night.

"Oh yeah. Testifying against a psionic who tried to blow up a law firm. That's my idea of fun right there," she sarcastically informed.

"Well it will be good to see him behind bars where he belongs."

"That's for sure."

Shalimar continued eating her midnight or midmorning snack looking up at Emma every now and then amazed at how taken she was with her. She'd almost cleared her plate and was about to speak when something caught her attention.

"Did you hear that?" she asked the psionic.

Emma looked up from her plate with a questioning look.

"Hear what?"

Shalimar felt a chill race though her and her hair nearly stood on end. Then she heard it again somewhere off in the distance a soft undistinguishable sound.

"It was like a whisper. You didn't hear it?"

Shalimar froze and listened harder hoping the sound would come again. A second later a faint shushing sound made it's way to her keen ears.

"There it is again," she informed turning back to Emma who just sat still in confusion.

"What?"

"That sound. It's like a shushing whisper sound."

"I didn't hear anything, Shal."

"Well I did and I heard it before in my room too," she surely informed turning to look around the room.

"I don't know what to tell y-"

"I know I heard it, Emma."

Shalimar stood from the table her eyes going feral as she scanned the room for any evidence to the strange sounds. After checking the room several times over and finding nothing she sighed and turned back to Emma.

"I don't know what it was but it was something," she said her confidence convincing Emma that Shalimar did hear something or at least thought she heard something.

"If I hear anything I'll tell you," the psionic promised.

"Thanks. I think I'm gonna head back to bed. Thanks for the snack."

Shalimar picked up her plate and placed it in the sink before forcing a smile towards the psionic and heading back to her room the confusion enough to make her sleepy again.