Content warning: brief "adult" encounter. Jamie and Claire locked in a closet... you do the math. :D
Outside, Claire took a step toward the nearest rescue volunteer and was brought up short by Jamie's hand. She jerked away from him and glared balefully at his patient expression.
"Claire, you KNOW you can't involve them. If someone without clearance examines Darien…"
Her mouth fell open. "How much do you know?" she whispered. Jamie looked uncomfortable.
"Enough. Your clearance is pretty high but I don't know exactly HOW high; Darien is part of that. And he's been… altered somehow. That's why he has to have all the shots." His cool blue eyes held her panicked hazel ones steadily. "Specifics weren't part of what you permitted me."
She opened her mouth to say something, then slapped her hand over it in the horrifying realization that she was mere moments from telling this near-complete stranger about the gland in Darien's head, and the quicksilver madness that could ultimately kill him- and Hobbes. Jamie simply looked at her with that curious far-seeing gaze and she shook her head. "Please don't," she whispered.
"I don't go where I'm not invited," he said softly. "If you won't or can't tell me, I won't sneak in and steal it from you." He took a deep breath and looked around. "Your friends told you where they were, didn't they?"
"Yes…"
"Well then- let's go find them." Without hesitation Jamie went over to a nearby fire truck and started stocking up- hatchet, rope, flashlights, medical kit, water. Then, Claire in tow, he started toward the building, striding right past firemen and police guards, under the yellow tape and through the glass doors leading to the lobby. Claire was vaguely uneasy but didn't find the chance to speak until they'd stepped into a stairwell and started down.
"Mr. Morgan…"
"Jamie, please."
"All right, Jamie. I just noticed something, I wanted to ask you."
"Why no one stopped us?"
"Yes."
"They didn't see us."
Claire blinked, then let out a short bark of laughter. "How could they not?"
"They didn't see us. It's something I can do- give someone a little push in a direction so that they don't notice me. Us, rather."
"You… made us invisible?"
"Not really," Jamie continued, opening the door and holding it for Claire. She stepped into the corridor, Jamie on her heels. "It's more like following a train of thought onto a dead end- just long enough for us to get by. Say someone is looking our way, and while they're starting to look at us they see a bird. Instead of focusing on us, I 'push' them a little to think about that bird for a second."
"They get sidetracked."
"Exactly."
"Amazing. And you can do this to how many people at once?"
Jamie smiled. "I just handled over one thousand out there. It isn't hard- not anymore. I kind of broadcast it." He shrugged. "It's like sending out a radio signal that says "bird, plane, cloud, car…"
"Chrysalis…"
"Yeah, that would work."
"No, I mean CHRYSALIS!" Claire hissed, grabbing Jamie and pushing him around the corner. She'd spotted a telltale, dark suited lackey. "We have to hide," she hissed frantically. "If they find us we're as good as dead."
"Here!" Jamie threw open a nearby janitor's closet and pushed Claire inside. "This will work." He shut the door and plunged them into darkness.
Claire felt her throat tightening. "Jamie…"
"You can tell me about Chrysalis later," he whispered. "For now, be quiet and don't move."
"Jamie," she hissed, panic tasting bitter in her throat. "I can't stay in here…"
"Shh," he whispered, shifting around so that his arms came around her shoulders. "Just stay calm. I can help- will you let me?"
"Please," she choked, ashamed at how the word came out on a sob.
"Okay, just relax. Breathe with me. In- out. In- out. In-" A myriad of images flashed through Claire's mind. Pavlov. Darien. Bobby. Arnaud. Watching Darien quicksilver. Going quicksilver mad herself. Bobby's expression as he tried to thank her for her words at his 'funeral.' Giving Darien injection after injection of counteragent. Eberts and the Official. Kissing Darien. Images began to flash by at an increasing rate, traveling backwards: Darien in a straightjacket in the padded cell at the Agency, eyes bloodshot, deep in quicksilver madness. Interviewing with the Official. Research and labs and papers and kissing Kevin Fawkes in grad school. High school graduation. More research and papers and studying. Birthday parties. Field trips to the science museum. Walking to school with her Mum- and the first time she'd gone alone and nearly gotten abducted.
She could feel the grip on her arm, could taste the fear in her throat, the scream threatening to bubble up and betray them. In the scene in her head the man had no face, was just a torso and arms and big shoulders, and in her head she drew breath to scream and before it could escape someone stepped between them and broke the man's grasp. From the perspective of the little girl she used to be she looked up into the face of her rescuer- who had not rescued her during the actual event- and found herself looking at someone who looked exactly like Jamie. The man who had grabbed her vanished, evaporating like so much smoke, and the man who looked like Jamie knelt down and took her in his arms, warm, comforting, safe…
Claire blinked and found herself back in the closet- but no longer afraid. Jamie's arms were still wrapped around her shoulders, heavy and warm, his breath in her hair, and she found herself thinking that it had been along time since she'd been held and truly felt safe. He felt very solid behind her, her shoulders pressed up against his chest, the muscles in his stomach tense against her back. Her knees wobbled slightly and she shifted, inadvertently bringing them closer. His hip pressed against her gluteus and she felt an odd, almost-forgotten thrill race through her belly at his nearness. Damn, but it had been a long time since she'd allowed herself to feel anything remotely sensual.
Jamie felt Claire shift in his arms and stifled a groan. Her awareness of him was radiating from her in ever-increasing waves and hard as he tried he couldn't block it all out. Slowly but surely she was swamping him.
"Jamie…" she whispered breathlessly.
"Shh," he whispered in her ear. "It's not safe yet, they aren't gone." His breath sent a shiver down her spine. His lips stayed there, just brushing her earlobe, and Claire let the delicious little shudder that followed turn her head just enough that their lips met. Jamie let out a tiny soundless exhalation and met her halfway, lips warm and full, one hand tangling in her hair.
Images began to flash through her mind, images that she didn't recognize. It took her mere moments before she realized she was seeing things from Jamie's perspective- the room collapsing, the earthquake shattering his focus, seeing her as he gained the stage. Getting off a plane and meeting the four dour scientists. Labs and tests and questions and answers as he submitted to test after test all in the interest of the lecture. Needles and pain and blinding headaches as he refined and practiced and stretched his gift to the limits. Seeing auras and sensing secrets as early as high school, knowing he was different as young as nine. Memories flashed past so fast she could barely register them, one after another, a flood of impulses and emotions and chaos. Neither were aware that their bodies were entwined as closely as their minds, physical entities straining for the same intimacy as the psychic enjoyed, hands touching, caressing, pulling and straining. Their centers drew together, shirt buttons pulled open and hems pulled roughly out of the way so that skin could touch skin, embers of desire exploding into fiery pools. Jamie physically lifted Claire off the ground and pressed her back into the cold concrete wall, her legs wrapping around his waist reflexively, her fingers tangled in his hair, her mouth fixed to his.
Through the intensity storming between them something intruded and the connection shattered as Jamie's attention was diverted from her to the outside world again. Just outside the door he heard footsteps, voices- and someone put their hand on the door. Without breaking their kiss, Jamie tensed slightly. Claire heard an ethereal whisper chanting "Don't stop. Door locked. Walk away. Don't stop…"
"It's locked, no one could have gotten in. Let's go."
The footsteps faded and silenced. Jamie relaxed and released Claire, dropping her gently to the ground. Straightening her clothing, she suddenly she felt very foolish. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Jamie chuckled slightly as he opened the door a crack and peered outside as he absently re-buttoned his shirt.
"No problem. I suppose I should apologize as well."
"No no, it was me…"
"Trust me- it wasn't just you." He looked up at her from his half-bent position. "Anyway, we have one question answered."
"What's that?"
"I know what they're looking for. It's me."
"What?"
"I took the liberty of scanning them as they passed."
Claire folded her arms and pursed her lips in a thoughtful expression. "I thought you said you didn't go where you weren't invited."
"I made an exception in this case. Their surface intentions were easy enough to read, and since they were not good, I figured probing a little deeper to find out why wasn't unconscionable." Jamie sighed and straightened, shifting the gear around him. "So I now know about Chrysalis, and Stark- and why they want me."
"And that would be what?" Claire felt her stomach flip flop in apprehension.
"Standard covert ops stuff, any advantage they can gain over their enemies. Which seems to be- you. Your Agency, anyway."
Claire chewed her lip thoughtfully. "You know, if you know too much we MAY just have to kill you."
"I doubt it." Jamie broke into a grin. "I'll just have to enter witness protection- which would have happened anyway once the Official found out that Chrysalis is after me. Tell you what- it'll be our little secret."
Claire found herself smiling despite her apprehension. "Deal."
Jamie took one last look down the corridor. "Coast is clear. Let's go." He extended a hand and, after a moment's hesitation, Claire took it and followed him.