Okay, first of all, let me apologise for leaving this story for so long! I didn't have a computer for a long time and I've had to do some catching up with other things. I know, I know it's a feeble excuse but I'm here now so let's get on with the story!

PULSE (part 3)

Emma bolted upright in her bed, her heart racing. Something had woken her but she didn't know what. Looking around her room she saw nothing amiss and relaxed putting it all down to a bad dream but somehow she couldn't get rid of her feeling of unease. Dressing quickly she left her room to find Shalimar in the corridor looking for something.

"What are you looking for?"

Shalimar turned to Emma with a distracted look. "I don't know. I can feel something…" She trailed off as she continued to wander along the corridor.

Emma followed trying to sense what her friend was obviously sensing.

"It's like," Shalimar continued, "It's like the air is charged."

Emma frowned, "How do you mean?"

Shalimar stopped her prowling for the moment. "It's like what I feel after Brennan has used his power but only much stronger."

"I've never felt anything."

Shalimar smiled, "That's because you're not a feral."

"Do you know where it's coming from?"

"I'm not sure. It seems to be getting stronger closer to the outside door."

They moved down the corridor towards the door and were joined by Adam and Jesse, quickly telling them what Shalimar could sense.

"If it's someone outside then surely the alarms would have went off by now," Jesse said to Adam.

As Adam went off to check the security monitors the others stopped in front of the door. Shalimar placed one hand on the door then quickly stepped back as she got a shock from it. Even Emma and Jesse could feel the charge in the air now as their hair began to stand up slightly.

Suddenly the door blasted inwards and they were flung backwards to land in an untidy heap. Shalimar was instantly on her feet and saw that Emma was unconscious but Jesse was struggling to his feet, shaking his head slightly. Before either of them could do anything an electric bolt blasted both of them and sent them slamming into the wall.

Before Shalimar slipped into unconsciousness she saw Brennan step into Sanctuary as the smoke cleared but she was out before she could see him go to Emma's side and pick her limp form up.

Emma woke up slowly unaware of what had happened. As she woke up fully she panicked slightly as she realised she was strapped to a hospital bed. After struggling futilely for a moment she calmed herself and looked around to see if she could figure out where she was.

It was a small hospital room that looked like a thousand others she had seen with the one exception of having no window. A monitor was beside her although it wasn't in use at that time and she didn't want to know if it was supposed to be for her. She was still clothed apart from her shoes, which she assumed was for the purpose of strapping her ankles to the bed rail.

Listening carefully she could faintly hear voices coming from outside her room but when she opened herself up there were too many emotions and feelings washing over her that she quickly blocked it all out. Where ever this place was there were an awful lot of people suffering.

Footsteps approached the door and it opened as Brennan came in. "Brennan!" she cried out then she stopped and looked at him, "Brennan?"

When Brennan looked at her there was nothing in his eyes, they were completely blank. She tentatively reached out to him with her mind but pulled back as she felt the raging tumult inside of him. He was screaming inside but couldn't find a release.

Despite her own predicament Emma couldn't help shedding a tear at this, "Oh Brennan, what have they done to you?"

"Oh come now Emma," a familiar voice drawled, " We haven't done anything to him!"

David stepped into the room along with a blonde woman she had never seen before. He came to her side, brushing past Brennan as if he was nothing, and smiled down at her.

"It's just a little experimental drug we're trying on him. Something to make him obedient, you might say."

Emma stared at him as if she had never seen him before – she couldn't believe her old friend was behind this. David's smile slipped a little as she continued to stare and say nothing.

"Aren't you wondering why I've brought you here?" he demanded, "Why your friend has turned against you? Well, that one's easy- because I made him! Although he did put up quite a fight and all that power he has! Yes, he's going to be quite useful!" He looked almost fatherly towards Brennan who still stood looking blankly at Emma.

Emma looked pleadingly at David, "You can't keep using him like that! If he uses too much of his power he'll burn himself out!"

"Really?" David asked, obviously intrigued by this idea.

"Please," Emma pleaded, "You have me, let Brennan go!"

David chuckled to himself and turned to the blonde woman, "Why I do believe she loves him!"

As David and the blonde woman laughed together Emma looked in anguish towards Brennan – who looked back at her, but then the blank look slid back. Emma blinked, not certain what she had seen.

"What do you want from us?" Emma asked.

"That's simple, my dear Emma," David said as he trailed a finger up her arm, "I want what's in here." He placed his hand on each side of her face and searched her eyes as if looking for something. "I want what you can do."

Emma struggled against his hands but he held her firmly. "I want you to work for me," he continued, "but I knew after meeting you again that you wouldn't do it willingly. But I have ways, you might say."

"Are you going to drug me like Brennan?" she demanded.

"Unfortunately I can't do that." David sighed, still holding her face but now one hand was stroking her cheek, "The drug we used on him traps the mind inside itself leaving him susceptible to orders. Now, don't look at me like that," he chided when her look changed to one of horror, "He was never that deep anyway."

"You're a monster!" Emma finally managed to gasp.

David gave her a little smile then leant down and kissed her as she struggled against her bonds.

Brennan raged and stormed against the drug that left him helpless. He couldn't stop himself from obeying David's orders no matter how he fought.

He had woken up, just as Emma had, in a hospital bed but he hadn't need restraints as the drug had been administered already. His memory was fuzzy about what had occurred after waking up but he could clearly remember going back to Sanctuary and kidnapping Emma.

His mind was clearer now but he still couldn't gain control of himself, which angered and frustrated him but worse, he felt guilty about attacking his own friends and now Emma lay helpless and he couldn't do anything. He could only stand and watch, just as helpless as if he'd been tied to a bed.

He continued to fight inside while his outside appearance was that of an empty shell but he was aware of everything and he had heard David's little joke to his colleague about Emma loving him. For just a brief moment he had felt his control back as he had looked into Emma's eyes but then his mind howled in frustration as he lost it again.

Could it be possible? Could Emma love me despite what I had done to her? These thoughts pounded in his brain as he fought on. But then he calmed when something Emma had said tugged at him 'he'll burn himself out' she had said and slowly an idea formed.

When David had bent down and kissed Emma no one noticed the electricity sparking from his fingertips or the look of hatred that crossed his face. Brennan forced his mind to calm even though he wanted to do nothing more than to pound David to a bloody mass with his own fists. He focused his power and let it course through his body, heating his blood so the drug burned away to leave not a trace.

Emma tried to pull away from David's kiss but he held her tight. She tried to bite him but he jerked away in time and only laughed at her. He patted her cheek and straightened up, he opened his mouth to speak but his companion interrupted him.

Turning he saw Brennan convulsing as electric bolts shot up and down his body until he slumped to the ground in a heap. Emma screamed from the bed but David ignored her, bending down to check Brennan.

"Damn!" he said as he stood up, "Oh well, he was useful for a while. Get the orderlies to take him to the morgue." Turning to a shocked Emma he smiled then he and the blonde woman left the room.

Emma stared at the door in shock. Brennan couldn't be dead! He just couldn't! She tried to see him where he lay but the restraints made it impossible and she screamed in her frustration and grief. She thrashed her body and pulled at the straps in an effort to be free but eventually she grew tired.

Falling back onto her pillows she almost didn't notice that one of the restraints had loosened a little, just enough for her to squeeze her hand out with a little skin left behind. Quickly undoing the other straps she slid from the bed onto the floor beside the prone body of her friend.

She turned him over on to his back and shook him slightly.

"Brennan!" she cried, "Brennan, please wake up! You can't be dead!" She pressed her fingers to his neck but couldn't feel a pulse, sobbing she hugged him.

She couldn't believe this was happening. How could everything go so badly? She realised now that David had just been a friend to her and nothing more, although she realised now his overtures of friendship had all been a ruse. However, it had drawn attention to the fact that she was lonely and needed someone special in her life. How ironic that she found out to late whom that special someone was.

It was Brennan she loved. Brennan with his smile. Brennan who was so loyal to his friends. Brennan who loved her. Crying she leant down to kiss him, her tears falling on his face.

"I love you," she whispered.

That's it for now folks but don't worry – as you're reading this I'm working on the next part!