A/N: Sorry! Sorrysorrysorry! I apologize for an update of any nature taking so long! Life seems to have taken a firm grasp of me and my time and refuses to let go. As it is, i'm posting this at 12 midnight on a friday, the only moment when I've had time. Again, I'm SO sorry, I hope you've stuck with me and please enjoy the chapter,

The guys swaggered into Sanctuary and hour or so later to find Shalimar and Lexa asleep on the couch and the end credits of a movie rolling down the TV screen. Brennan winced at the light in room and stumbled off to bed without a word and fell asleep instantly, doomed to be unable to remember that night.

Jesse staggered over to the couch and poked Lexa unceremoniously until she woke up with a groan. "Jesse?" She blinked. "What time is it?" She leaned over and rubbed Shalimar's back in an attempt to wake her up in a gentler manner.

"I onno," Jesse answered her, kissing her cheek and stumbling off. Shalimar woke with an incoherent mumble and a groan, rubbing sleep from her eyes

"What time is it?" She repeated Lexa's question. Lexa frowned at the clock on the VCR.

"Quarter past three," Lexa replied, helping Shalimar groggily to her feet. "The guys just staggered in." Shal perked up.

"Drunk?"

"Oh yeah." Shalimar giggled and she and Lexa went to bed. Shalimar smiled warmly as she looked over Brennan's sleeping form on their bed, completely clothed, shoes still on. She gently removed his shoes and climbed into bed beside him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Suddenly her eyes flashed yellow, sensing something different about him. Something smelled off, she just couldn't put her finger on it. There was an unfamiliar, almost feminine scent around him, but she ignored it, figuring that it was just from all the women around him at the club.

Brennan woke up alone the next morning with a pounding headache. He staggered to the bathroom cabinet and took out the Advil, filling a small glass with water and downing three pills. A little excessive, maybe, but his head was throbbing and spinning. Not that they had the chance to help his headache as he was over the toilet, throwing them back up ten seconds later. After several minutes of vomiting up everything he had drank the night before, he took another few Advil and headed towards the shower.

He had to lean against the ceramic tile walls for balance because the room kept spinning and growing dark then shifting back into painfully bright technicolor. He groaned and rubbed his forehead. I shouldn't have had those last few shots, he thought as he lathered up and rinsed off quickly. After finishing all of the hygienic stuff required for a shower, he sat down inside the tub and hunched over, folding his arms on top of his knees and laying his head on his arms, letting the warm water pound onto his back and shoulders, relaxing his tensed muscles. He felt his eyes closing and gave in to the sleep that was forcing down his eyelids.

He woke about an hour later to Shalimar shaking him gently, a look a concern and mild amusement on her face. He moaned and mumbled something incoherent before opening his eyes to find that he had fallen over and was leaning against the shower wall. He had a pain growing in his back and neck but his headache seemed to have reduced slightly and the world didn't appear to be tilting crazily anymore.

"Hey, you okay?" Shal asked him, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Yeah," he replied quietly, his voice hoarse. "I'm okay."

"Oh good, I'm glad." She giggled a bit. "So, how much do you love alcohol right now?" She grinned when he moaned and shook his head slowly.

"Liquor is not my friend." He groaned as he took her proffered hand and she helped him to his feet and out of the shower. "I'm never drinking again." He swore.

"Yeah, I'll hold my breath on that one," she giggled again, taking a towel from his bathroom cabinet and helping him dry off, taking his bottom half because bending over made his head spin. Not that she minded...

Brennan flopped down on the bed and tried to lie down but was stopped by a still-chuckling Shalimar. "Oh no you don't," she admonished him gently, pulling him upright with strong arms. "No more sleeping, it's not my fault you drank so much last night, so get up and come have some breakfast and some coffee." She walked over to his dresser and opened a drawer. "Time heals everything, even hang over headaches." She smirked at his disappointed expression before tossing a pair of jeans into his face and walking towards him with a black tank top in her hands.

He groaned as he leaned over and pulled his jeans up his legs, making the room spin again. He rubbed his forehead slowly and lifted his butt up to tug his jeans up the rest of the way but couldn't do them up. Shalimar knelt down in front of him and removed his faltering hands, buttoning and zipping his jeans. She indicated that he should lift his arms over his head and she slipped the shirt over his arms and pulled it into place over his chest and stomach then tugged it down in the back where it had gotten caught. She offered him her hands again and hauled him to his feet and into her arms.

"Thanks," he murmured against her hair. She pulled away and her eyes shone.

"No problem, but don't expect that every morning." She nudged him gently, kissed him, intertwined her fingers with his and led him from the room to the kitchen, unaware that Lexa was having similar problems with Jesse.

"Come on Jesse, get up!" Lexa exclaimed exasperatedly, shaking him mercilessly.

"Mmm," he groaned and rolled over, squeezing his eyes shut against the bright lights that Lexa had flipped on in his room regardless of his headache. "Go 'way." He mumbled, turning his face into his pillow. Lexa, however, had other ideas, and a less gentle way of rousing her boyfriend.

"Jesse Kilmartin if you don't get up in the next five seconds I will never kiss you again." She threatened, standing from her perch on the bed and rising to her feet, standing a few inches away, arms crossed over her chest. Jesse's eyes shot open and he sat up quickly, instantly regretting the fast movement as his head spun and his head throbbed three times harder than it had been a few seconds ago. Lexa bit back a small smile.

"That was mean," Jesse mumbled, rubbing his temples in slow circles. He rolled just his eyes up at Lexa in a pitiful glance.

"I know," she sat down beside him and took over rubbing his temples and kissing his neck gently. "But you're up, aren't you?" She grinned wickedly.

"Yeah, I'm up, but that was still incredibly cruel and my head is pounding." He closed his eyes as her motions lulled him.

"Here," she kissed him and stood again, heading towards the bathroom. "I'll get you something for your headache and then we'll go have breakfast. And then maybe I'll give you a treat of your very own." She leaned down and kissed him again.

"Oh, I like the sound of that." Jesse smiled. Lexa laughed and brought him back two pills and a glass of water. Jesse took the pills gratefully and downed them without a word then let Lexa help him to his feet and dressed unsteadily. Lexa smirked as she watched him fumbling with his drawers and clothes. She waited until he was finished then went to him, kissing his cheek and putting an arm around his waist, smiling as she felt his arm loop around her shoulder and they left for the kitchen together. "So, what of this surprise?" Jesse wiggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed, giving him a suggestive glance.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She giggled and glanced up at him as he pouted at her vague response.

"Morning guys, Shal, Brennan." Lexa greeted them with a smile, sitting beside Shalimar and across from Jesse at the small table. The two guys looked at each other and laid their heads on their arms folded upon the table with simultaneous groans. The girls' eyes met and they covered their mouths with their hands and stifled giggles.

"I think they drank a bit too much last night." Shalimar laughed.

"I'd tend to agree." Lexa grinned. "Hangovers are a bitch."

"Tell me about it," Brennan grumbled and Jesse nodded in agreement, both without raising their heads.

"So, do either of you remember last night?" Lexa asked. Brennan shook his head no but Jesse raised his head and his brow furrowed in thought.

"Umm…I remember music…and people...lots of people… Then there was that girl…" Both Shal's and Lexa's head snapped up. Brennan made a sorry attempt to raise his head, failing miserably before letting it fall back onto his arms.

"Girl?" Shalimar quirked an eyebrow at them.

"What girl?" Lexa asked suspiciously.

"Honestly, I don't really remember. Something about vodka...um…brunette… tall… anything after that is kinda blank." Jesse admitted. "I'm sure if something happened I'd remember." He added when Lexa's angry eyes met his.

"Brennan, do you remember this girl?" Shalimar asked, she tried to keep the snarl from her voice. Brennan frowned and thought hard. The light caught his eyes when he finally managed to raise his head and he winced and laid his head on his hands.

"No, Shal, I truly don't. I don't even remember coming home last night. Or anything after my second gin and tonic, for that matter. I doubt that anything happened." He took Shalimar's hands and kissed them gently. "You're my girl, Shal, you know that." She smiled and squeezed his hands.

"I know, but you know how territorial I am."

"Obviously," he grinned, remembering the bite marks as she'd staked her claim. She smirked at him, gleefully unashamed.

"Can I go back to bed now? Please?" Jesse whined pitifully.

"Yeaah, what was with waking us up. You knew how messed we were." Brennan chimed in. Lexa and Shalimar looked at each other, and evil grin passing between them.

"Uhh, no!" The stated in unison, laughing at the groans they received from the hung-over men.

TO BE CONTINED...

A/N: Hope you like the chapter, please note that another update might take awhile since I seem to be expiercing a tedious 'bout of writer's block or it's possible that i just haven't had the time to try and sit down to write more of this fic. I'm trying, i really am, please be patient with me. Thanks for your support, I truly do appreciate it!