As far as I couldn't leave you there with that cliffhanger, here is chapter 4... for all of you who stayed with me. Thanks!

Chapter 4

Blood. The metallic smell assaulted her senses as soon as she stepped inside sanctuary. It hung thick in the air, like a silent threat adding to the already overloaded atmosphere of the place. Instantly, her feral senses took over. The lights were useless; and if something was wrong, she didn't want to signal her presence. Soundlessly, she went past Jesse's room and opened the door. The molecular was sound asleep and it wasn't coming from his room. She sniffed the air trying to find where it was coming from. The scent was very familiar.

As she was nearing Emma's old room, it became thicker. A small ray of light was coming from under the door. Her nose wrinkled slightly and her blood ran cold. The smell was Brennan's. All the fears she had tried to hide and tame the past few months came rushing through her mind. She opened the door without hesitation.

The desolated sight inside the room made her scream. Brennan was lying unconscious on the ground beside the bed in a small pool of blood; his own blood. She kneeled close to him and checked for a pulse. It was faint and unsteady, but it was there. The feral applied her hand on the wound trying to stop the flow coming from his forearm. But it was useless. Blood was slowly oozing through her fingers, carrying his life away with each drop. She screamed for Adam or Jesse to come and help her.

Soon enough her two friends were by her side. Neither said a word. Then everything went quickly. The lights were switched on and Brennan was carried to the lab. Shalimar followed the two men without realizing it. She watched Jesse put the IV in place and hang the blood bag. Meanwhile, Adam started stitching the vessels.

When Jesse was done with the IV, he looked up and asked their mentor a question. She didn't hear it. But when Adam's hands stilled, when he looked up and sadly smiled, she knew. Her fingernails cut through her skin, but there was no pain. The first drop of blood fell to the ground. The sound in the empty halls was deafening like a desperate cry.

Time seemed to freeze and when Jesse came out, he found her watching in the lab direction. But her expression was empty. Her white top was stained and blood was dripping from her left hand creating a small dark patch on the ground. The sight made his heart ache.

Carefully the molecular took her hand and unwrapped her fingers, examining the damages. He swore silently upon seeing the gashes in her palm. One of his arms found it's way around her shoulders and as he led her to the bathroom he heard her crying for the first time since Emma's death.

XXX

It was nearly 6AM when Adam emerged from the lab. After a few hours of work, he had finally managed to stabilize Brennan. But he still dreaded the moment when the elemental would loose his battle for life. It had come close with his wound and later when his heart had stopped.

As he went through the empty halls, the weight of the last few hours settled on his shoulders, making the world appear much darker. The place was stripped from its usual laughter and lively noises and it pained him to no end. He stopped before entering the main living area. His eyes took in the hugeness of the place, reminding him of the task he had vowed to achieve. Sighing he shook his head. Self-pity would lead him nowhere.

Silently he made his way to the couch hoping he could sleep at least an hour. The sight that greeted him would have made him smile in any other circumstances. Shalimar and Jesse were curled on the couch wide-awake. From Shalimar's eyes, he could tell she had cried. Jesse seemed to do his best to keep his emotions at bay but his frown was betraying him. Adam sat in one of the armchair across the couch. He was too tired to even talk. 'I'll close my eyes for one minute, just one minute.' And when Jesse called him he was fast asleep.

"How is he, Adam?"

He rubbed his eyes wearily. All he had been able to give them lately was bad news. And today, it wouldn't be different.

"Brennan suffered from an extensive blood loss. And around four this morning his heart stopped for a minute. I restarted it but it was a close call. He'll survive only if he has the will to do so."

He didn't need to add that in his current state of mind, the elemental had little to no chances. Shalimar slowly sat up, running her fingers through her hair. She was nearly afraid to ask what had bothered her the whole night.

"Did he… try to kill himself?"

"No."

She closed her eyes and squeezed Jesse's hand tighter.

"Then what happened?"

Adam shrugged and shifted uncomfortably in the armchair. This was the strangest part of that story. And he still didn't know how to deal with the news he had gotten while examining the wound.

"He was attacked. The angle of the wound makes it impossible for him to have done it alone. No one entered the perimeter. I checked twice. We'll have to wait until he wakes up to know what really happened."

Jesse's brain was working at light speed. He wasn't about to let something threaten them inside Sanctuary. They were supposed to be safe inside their home.

"Did you check the survey cameras?"

"Yes and you perfectly know that there are no cameras inside the rooms. My only guess is that it was some kind of psionic attack."

Adam paused and sadly watched the two remaining members of his team. It was not the moment. All he wanted to do was give them the time to breath and cope with what had happened. But he couldn't. There was more at risk than just one life.

"Jesse, Shalimar, I need you to go and bring back a new mutant."

The feral blinked a few times not sure she had heard right. However the grip of Jesse's hand on hers was a confirmation. She closed her eyes breathing deeply. It was not the moment to unleash her fury at Adam. He was not responsible for what had happened. She had no right to blame him.

"Where do we have to go?"

"You have to pick up a young molecular. Her name is Olivia. My contact confirmed she was attacked earlier this morning. Her survival is vital. I already downloaded her address and the address of her flower-shop."

The two mutants got up and were ready to leave when he called them back.

"I'll call you if something happens to Brennan. And please be careful. You're not dealing with GSA agents. The people you'll face won't let anything or anyone interfere."

XXX

The landscape around her had an unusual red tint. The grass, the trees, the sky, everything had a deep angry shade of red. Everything seemed dead around her. No birds, no insects, no even the cold wind could be heard. The place was desolated, empty, sad. She turned around a few times trying to find were she was, but the pastures extended as far as the eye could see. She breathed deeply trying to repress the panic threatening to overcome her.

Suddenly she felt two strong arms wrapping around her waist. The touch stilled her growing anguish. She tried to turn around to see who could calm her like that, but the grip was tight.

"I won't leave you this time."

The sound of his voice. How she had longed to hear it again, to feel its velvety texture glide down her spine. It soothed her fears, giving her the certitude she had lacked during the last few months. Yet something was out of place. His voice held a subtle mix of relief, sadness and resignation. He silently rested his cheek against hers and she let his feelings flood her heart. She didn't need to see him. Everything he was was encompassed in that simple touch. As she dwelled deeper in his mind, realization struck her like a thunderbolt, and she couldn't keep the tear inside. It rolled down her cheek. Angrily she wiped it. He was dying and she couldn't do a single thing to prevent it.

The red sun rose behind a tree and his presence beside her started to fade. She wanted to scream, to cry but she was paralyzed. She could not let him go like that. He had to fight for her… for them. A strangled cry broke through her lips when she lost all contact.

"Brennan! NO!"

XXX

Emma bolted upright on the couch, throwing the covers Olivia had put on her aside. Tears were sliding down her cheeks and her breath was raged. His name. She knew his name. But to what price? She closed her eyes and wiped her tears with her sleeves. This had to be a nightmare. It couldn't be true. Her feet touched the ground and her eyes landed on a small piece of paper resting on the coffee table.

'No need to come to work. You take care of yourself and prepare a nice meal for tonight.'

Always trust Olivia to try to make her feel better. However it wasn't enough to distract her mind from her dream and yesterday night attack. She sighed and rested back on the couch. As she closed her eyes, little flashes were slowly coming back to her. But she didn't care. She would exchange all her memories for his life, without any hesitation. Tears were freely sliding down her cheeks. Her link with Brennan was slowly dying with him.

XXX

Olivia carefully chose a few lotuses, papyrus and some greenery. She quickly assembled them, creating a spectacular arrangement. But her mind wasn't on her work. The events of the night before still kept playing in her head. She had the nagging suspicion yesterday's attack had been directed at her. Her fingers worked quickly as she tied the flowers together. She had buried the memories of that night in the deeper recess of her mind. But after yesterday night, she couldn't ignore it.

XXX

Ten years ago

"You need to stay quiet while I'll scan you."

Olivia tried to smile at the woman who was taking care of her. But the pain in her left leg was making her dizzy and she had to restrain herself from screaming. Minutes were slowly passing by as the red scan went on her body again and again. The woman was watching her from time to time a sad smile on his lips. When the scan ended, a man with curly brown hair entered the lab. Gently he got closer to the young girl and injected some blue liquid in the IV in her left arm. The moment the liquid entered her system she felt sleep downing on her. She barely had the strength to hear him.

"Don't worry, Olivia. Everything will be fine when you wake up."

XXX

The sound of the doorbell startled her. Quickly the young molecular put the flowers back on the table and cleaned her hands on her apron. It wasn't like her to get lost in her memories. She shook her head smiling as she entered the small shop. Two men dressed in black coats were standing near the entrance. Upon seeing them, Olivia froze. One of them silently went to the door and turned the sign to indicate it was closed. The other man, the taller one took out some kind of gun and before the young woman had the time to turn around he fired.

Numbness shot through her whole body and she collapsed. She tried to hold on to a vase but it crashed, sending glass, water and roses on the ground. She saw the man coming her way, crushing the frail flowers under his shoes. The molecular tried to get up or scream but it was useless. And when he grabbed her, she was already asleep, unable to use her gift on her aggressor.