Emma sat down on the floor with her back against the bed and so did Shalimar.
"Look, I can admit that I maybe overreacted a little with Jodi, but it was just because I saw that you didn't like her."
"We all have people we don't like Shalimar, but that doesn't mean we can just beat them up…Even though she was starting it."
"She obviously wanted you back, why?"
"I don't know. She's spent three years in a mental hospital, maybe she's just obsessed with me?"
Shalimar looked at Emma.
"Okay, I know that sounded very conceited, but if you knew our history you would understand why I'm saying that."
"So tell me about your history together. I still can't see why you would be with someone like her."
"Why, because she's a woman?" Emma looked disappointed at her.
"No, because she seems violent and not quite stable."
Shalimar saw the hurt look in Emma's face.
"Hey, this has nothing to do with that she's a woman okay! I've been with women too."
"You have?" Emma looked at her surprised.
"Yeah, well maybe not in a long term relationship, but that's just because I haven't really had any long term relationships. It's not my thing I guess."
They both laughed and Shalimar was relieved that the tension between them seemed to ease a bit.
"So what's the story between you two?"
"Not much of a story really. We met, stayed together for a few months and then we broke up. We had a good time at first, but then she became this lunatic who followed me everywhere and accused me of flirting with other people and stuff, so I told her to leave me alone and then she became even crazier and broke into my apartment among other things."
Shalimar noticed a slight shudder in Emma as she talked.
"Anyway, the police came and took her after repeatedly break-ins and stealing and stalking, and sent her to a doctor. She ended up in a mental hospital and I haven't seen her since."
"I really don't like this Jodi."
"No, clearly you don't. So what's up with you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You and Jodi. It's okay that you didn't like her, but you were angry and…and jealous."
"I was not jealous. Why would I be jealous of a maniac? And why are you reading me? I thought you didn't do that to your friends."
"I didn't do it on purpose. You were just having so intense feelings that it was practically radiating of you. Besides, you had a pretty obvious body language too."
Emma flashed Shalimar a sly smile that she didn't know how to interpret and they stayed silent for a while, looking at each other.
Emma sighed. "Well, I should probably get some sleep huh?"
"Yeah, you should. Forget about Jodi okay!"¨
"I can't. Something with her doesn't seem right. I probably can't go out again because she'll find me."
"Don't say that Em."
"But it's true. She always had a way of finding me and something tells me it's even easier for her now."
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about Emma. Get some sleep."
Shalimar stood up and was about to leave when she was stopped by Emma's hand on her arm.
"Could you…Stay here tonight please? I'm just, I'm scared and I don't think I can get some sleep if I'm, you know, alone." Emma looked down on the ground, obviously uncomfortable.
"Sure, let me just go have a talk with Adam and tell him that I'm staying with you tonight. You can get ready while I do that."
"Okay."
"Okay, I'll see you soon." Shalimar gave Emma a quick hug before she walked out the door and carefully closed it after her.
----------"Shalimar, it's good you came, I wanted to talk to you."
"So did I. We need to find everything we can on Jodi."
"Who's Jodi?"
"Long story. She's an old friend of Emma and she's not sane."
"How do you know?"
"We met her tonight and she kinda attacked us, wanting Emma."
"Hmm. I'll get Jesse to run a search on her, but he'll need a description of her or at least her last name."
"Oh, right. I forgot to ask Emma about that. Guess we'll take care of it tomorrow then because I'm sleeping with Emma tonight."
Adam's eyes widened and got alert.
"She's just shaken up after our meeting with her past so she doesn't want to be alone. Goodnight."
Shalimar started to turn away. "Just so you know it, I want a full report about all of this in the morning Shalimar."
"Yeah, yeah."
As Shalimar left, Adam shook his head at how Shalimar always seemed to be in a hurry and never wanted to fully talk to him. As far as he knew the only person Shalimar really trusted and could talk to was Emma, and even though it was hard to see sometimes, he had noticed how Shalimar had slowly increased her protectiveness of Emma. This concerned him, knowing that Shalimar easily let her instincts take over.
"I'll talk to Emma about it later," Adam mumbled to himself.
----------Shalimar knocked softly at Emma's door, but didn't get any response, so she opened it carefully. Emma wasn't in the room, but Shalimar could hear noises from the bathroom. She gracefully and silently moved over to the door and saw Emma removing her clothes to change into her pyjama. As the psionic stripped down to nothing, Shalimar couldn't help but eye Emma's features, admiring every curve she had.
Suddenly the psionic looked straight at Shalimar and the feral felt her heart skip a beat and she started blushing. She knew she'd been caught in a compromising situation and she didn't want to start explaining what she was doing.
"Eh, I was…You didn't answer the door, so I walked in." She looked down at the floor, obviously ashamed.
"I didn't mean to disturb you or anything."
Emma studied Shalimar closely before smiling.
"No problem."
She was about to comment that it would only be embarrassing if it had been one of the guys, but decided against it, considering the emotions she had picked up from Shalimar. And what emotions were those exactly? She wasn't quite sure, so she decided to change the subject.
"You ready to go to bed?"
"Sure," Shalimar answered without looking at Emma. "I just need to use the bathroom."
"Okay, I'll see you in bed."
Emma laughed as she walked out of the bathroom and past Shalimar.
A few minutes later Shalimar emerged from the bathroom to see Emma lying in bed with her eyes closed. She stopped and listened to the psionics calm breathing and decided that it was better to not disturb her, so she started to walk toward the door.
"Where are you going?"
Shalimar turned back at Emma and met her eyes.
"I thought you were asleep and I didn't want to disturb you."
"I'm not sleeping, just trying to clear my head, but I just keep thinking about some confusing new facts."
"What kind of facts?" Shalimar said as she walked over to the bed.
"Nothing special, let's get some rest."
Shalimar crawled under the covers and faced Emma.
"You sure? Maybe I can help?"
"I'm sure, let's sleep."
"Ok."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight.
Emma moved her body closer to Shalimar and she noticed how the feral stiffened.
"What are you doing?" Shalimar choked out.
"Hold me!" Emma whispered as she turned around and took Shalimar's hand, guiding it around her waist.
Shalimar tightened the grip around the psionics waist so she was pressed against Shalimar's own body and they both closed their eyes, revelling in the feeling of safety from each other.