Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: As you may have noticed, this story is more character based than Traveling Souls was, which was more action based. I still have a lot of action planned, but you'll see more attempts at character development as well. That was my challenge to myself in this one! If you'll also recall, Traveling Souls took place immediately before episode 222 and this story picks up where the first left off so I am also weaving in elements from 222 and 301, loosely following the episode timelines, but changing certain events and of course creating new ones. Huge thanks to all of you for your comments and encouragement! Thank you so much Tunder28, Marie Crosby, Mxfan214, Courtney! Ana, Mayra, CatJerica, thank you for sharing your thoughts and guesses. I love reading them! Kitty Invictus, thank you for noticing the dreams and my comments in chapter one! Rain, I'll do my best to keep you guessing. Thank you! Adele, thank you so much. There won't be action in every chapter, but I do have a lot planned. I hope you will keep reading! Thank you all so much! Here's a long chapter for you, I hope you enjoy!
Traveling On—Chapter Six
He was being followed.
The sensation had been increasing steadily the further he ran from the others. Jesse hoped his shadow was not the mountain of a man that had stepped from the second car, the one their seller had seen and run away from.
But somehow he doubted he would be so lucky.
The man ahead of him was weaving erratically, moving in blind panic, and he cursed under his breath when the man suddenly turned, looping back around in the direction of his car.
And right towards whoever was following him.
He turned, about to call into his comlink for back-up when a sudden, burning pain tore along his cheekbone. His involuntary gasp sucked in a mouthful of rolling sweat with a copper tang. He disbelievingly raised his hand to his cheek even as instinct sent his body to the forest floor. Blood. He dragged his hand forward and stared at it long enough to confirm he was not dreaming.
Someone had a rifle with a sound compressor.
Before thought could be completed, he was up and running through the underbrush. Instinct and training kept him low and to the forest shadows. Knowledge kept him from massing. The shot had come from an upward angle. Whoever was shooting had him pinned like a sitting duck.
And he could only hold his breath for so long.
And if he had not turned his head when he had, that bullet might have gone through his skull.
Distance was his only chance, he had to get away. He chanced a quick glance over his shoulder, but could not see the seller anywhere. He only hoped he hadn't been hit.
The others.
He had to warn them. He only hoped that they would somehow hear, somehow get out of sight, and then waste this bastard. Agony exploded deep in his chest, and he stumbled, mind shrieking at him that he'd been shot. Pain slammed against his spinal column and he had a spinning impression of trees and rocks before his feet went out from under him and everything went black.
Something was wrong.
Shalimar shifted uneasily, staring into the greenery of the tree line, a sudden shift of panic sweeping in out of nowhere. Tension coiled tighter, and she suddenly found herself straining forward, staring out into the wooded acres, needing to find him. It occurred to her after a moment that she wasn't moving, and she looked down to see Brennan's hand wrapped around her arm, holding her back. She met his gaze, and he studied her intensely for a moment.
Something flickered in her eyes.
Brennan's grip opened and her arm slipped through his fingers.
She ignored the calls of the others, beginning to walk. Not too fast. Not even certain.
"Shalimar!"
Adam's call mixed with Emma's soft answer.
"Jesse's hurt."
She heard his name, remembering, realizing, suddenly sure. In her peripheral vision she was aware of Brennan moving like a silent shadow into a flanking position opposite Emma. She turned her head once to look at him, but he was watching the trees around them. The beat of their footsteps merged with hers, quickening her pace as she lengthened her stride and pulled ahead. Even on their best day, Brennan and Emma would not have been able to keep up. Injured, they didn't stand a chance.
The forest swallowed her whole.
Distantly, Shalimar felt her body hurtling along rocky ridges and slide down hillsides. Without volition, her body twisted and skimmed past a fallen tree and up another rocky trail. Her feet knew the path her eyes could not see. If she allowed herself to think, she wouldn't know; if she allowed herself to reason, he would die. The thought haunted her, convicted her, and so she denied pain and logic, and she ran.
She let her pack fall from her shoulders. The leaves whispered softly to themselves and parted gently, leaving gaps and holes for her to slide through, telling her to hurry.
She ran, smelling blood.
"Jesse!"
Shalimar's cry cut through the shadows and three heads jerked in recognition, forcing exhausted limbs to keep going. She called his name again, and Emma felt his answer rip from the bottom of her soul.
"Jesse!" Emma's agonized cry mimicked Shalimar's, and she fell to her knees, straining to keep the connection, bombarding Shalimar with images even as she whispered soothingly back to him.
Baby, I'm here.
Brennan ran past her into a small clearing, just in time to see Shalimar disappear. He cursed, her outstretched body burning itself into his brain as she hurtled herself into the air. He staggered forward, determined to follow.
It was Adam who stopped Brennan from going over the edge of the ravine.
Shalimar had jumped. Signs of a body under motion traced itself in the hillside, and the team was left behind, staring over an edge they could not follow.
Shalimar found him in a small cave.
Dragging herself into the tiny hollow, her entire attention was focused on only one thing. Collapsing next to his body, she placed a shaking hand on his throat.
Alive.
The slow thud of Jesse's heart echoed in her mind, and it was several seconds before she realized the smell of blood mocked her relief. Something let go; instinct allowed reason to take over, and with quick fingers she ripped open his shirt. The blackness of the blood made her sway in fright, hearing the gurgle of froth in his mouth. No, no, no, not his lungs. Her hands hesitated over his chest, unsure what to do. The wound itself was deceptively small. Pressure. She tore his shirt, applying a makeshift bandage, calling her team, curling her body around his uninjured side to lend warmth as she settled down to wait.
It had been too close.
Brennan couldn't shake the feeling that haunted him, pacing impatiently outside the lab. The time it had taken to get Jesse out of the forest and back to Sanctuary had passed in a blur. By the time they had returned to the sparse woods along the side of the road, both cars had been gone and all seven unconscious men had been removed. Emma's concentration was Jesse, refusing to leave him. Shalimar clung stubbornly to his body, unwilling to let him go, and even now as Brennan met her reflection through the glass, he felt a yawning abyss shatter the distance between them.
Guilt flared as his eyes dropped, and she glanced away before he would be forced to respond to the regret in his own.
It had been too damn close.
The whispering swish of air as the lab door was swept open brought him back to awareness. He had lost track of the time they had been waiting, but he crossed anxiously over to Adam as he stepped through the door.
"Well?"
He felt Shalimar step up next to him from behind.
Adam sighed tiredly, and Brennan's eyes darted quickly back through the glass where Emma was holding the molecular's hand, reassuring himself that Jesse was still alive.
Adam waited for his gaze to return, nodding at both of them. "I managed to heal the damage to his right lung, and there are no signs of secondary infection. He won't be running any marathons for a while, but the scarring is minimal, he will be back to full capacity in no time." Adam turned back around to look at the molecular through the glass, Brennan and Shalimar stepping up to either side of him. "His ribs will be sore for a while, but they appear to be knitting solidly and even the bruising is already subsiding." Adam placed a gentle hand on the feral's shoulder. "You did a good job, Shalimar."
She made a keening noise in the back of her throat, staying silent.
"Adam," Brennan smiled slightly as he watched Emma press a tender kiss against Jesse's slack lips, turning around to give her some privacy. "Since when does Eckhart deal with guns anyway?"
"He doesn't." Shalimar's dry whisper interrupted whatever Adam had been about to say. "It was him, that psionic was there again, and he used it to send a message."
"Which was what?" Brennan frowned, not understanding.
Shalimar pulled away from Adam's touch, pacing a few angry steps down the hall before turning back to face them. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and her voice held a dark bite. "That he's hunting us."
"What kind of sick game are they up to now?" Brennan banged an angry fist against the glass.
Shalimar tried to tell herself she was just tired. That they were all just too tired. But one thought kept bombarding her.
She had failed.
Again.
She used her fingertips to scrub the bone between her eyes with painful harshness. Hard enough to hold back the traitorous tears that burned and itched at the bridge of her nose. Too many moments of distraction. Too many nights staring at the ceiling. Too many nightmares, too many dreams of what might be.
Too many maybes.
Maybe she was losing it. Maybe she wanted too much. Maybe she had gotten too arrogant, too old, too careless, too blinded. Maybe she wanted something that did not exist. Could not exist. Maybe she needed to get it back together before somebody got killed. She swung around, only to be brought up short.
"Shal…don't."
Brennan's body was abruptly blocking her path. Long fingers closed over her shoulders tightly. She couldn't help it, she glared at him.
"It's not your fault."
She wanted to argue, to scream, to howl in outrage, but it was suddenly too much effort to lift her head. She narrowed her eyes, but the hall focused in and out of her vision, Brennan's body a large blur.
"I think she's crashing, Brennan."
Adam's voice worked its way back into her fuzzy brain.
"Crashing?" Brennan's voice rising in panic.
"Can you walk?" Adam staying calm.
She curled her lip in disdain. Of course she could walk. She had just outrun them all. She could always walk. She took a step to prove it, and fell. As Brennan caught her, the world spun in a sickening mass of green and gray. As darkness closed around her, she held to the brief hope that at least she didn't hit the ground. And then she remembered no more as blackness washed over.
Between one breath and the next, she awakened to find herself immersed in a world of bubbles, white coconut scented bubbles. Huge mounds of the stuff were dissolving slowly and from the look of the fabric covered legs hemming her in, Brennan had climbed into the tub with her, shirt, jeans and all. Arms wrapped tightly around her waist kept her head above water, and he had fallen asleep.
She listened to him breathe.
The water was still lukewarm, and her hair smelled faintly of shampoo. Her wrists stung from rope burn, and a general underlying ache hinted at many bruises. She lay still a moment, eyes closed, before sighing, easing herself out of Brennan's hold without disturbing him.
There was no sign of her clothes.
She felt exposed, vulnerable, grabbing the first thing she found, Brennan's bathrobe hanging on the back of the door. She chanced a glance at him, but he lay motionless. She shoved her arms into the robe, quickly wrapping it around her wet body. Another glance told her he still hadn't moved. With familiarity she didn't even recognize, she made quick work of using his things, brushing her teeth and combing out her tangled hair. She was stiff, unbelievably so, and she paused, seeing her reflection in the mirror. She debated a moment before shrugging, drawing the robe off her shoulders and twisting so she could examine the ugly bruise spreading across her shoulder and upper back. It was painful, but already healing, so she knew Adam must have examined her as well. She pulled the robe back on, tying the belt securely around her waist, smiling faintly as she held out her hands and the sleeves extended well beyond the tips of her fingers. Sometimes she almost forgot how big Brennan really was. She pushed the loose sleeves back up to her elbows, making her way back to the side of the tub. Still Brennan slept, and she knelt down, regarding him quietly, wondering just how out of it she must have been to miss being examined by Adam, being brought back to Brennan's room. He must have carried her. She flushed, looking down at herself as she realized she had also missed being undressed and shampooed. Somewhere in there, he had also cleaned the dirt, tree sap, and blood from the tiles and disposed of her clothes. She folded her arms on the side of the tub and rested her chin, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. His wet clothes clung to him, and she knew it must be uncomfortable.
He had stayed clothed.
The thought took away her embarrassment, and she smiled at the gallant touch. For all his outward talk and incessant flirting, Brennan was an honorable man. She knew he must have been worried about her, her well-being foremost on his mind as he cleansed and cared for her. She remembered his gentle touch when she had been sick, and a wave of love for the man before her overwhelmed her in its strength. Just as strong, she felt the backlash of fear claw up her throat, choking her with its hold, and she groaned, pressing trembling fingers over her lips.
There was always another mission, another monster, another form of darkness just around the corner. When would it all end? She could be his teammate, she could watch his back as she watched all their backs. That was easy. There were times when she thought that was all she had been born to do. It was so much harder to be more, to be the woman he thought he saw, looking at her. There were times when the look in his eyes terrified her. With his chocolate brown eyes, soldier's heart, and poet's soul. The wonder in his eyes as he looked at her….that was the hard part. She was afraid that the day would come when he would want too much. When she wouldn't be strong enough to give what was being asked of her. As much as she longed for it, for them to be together, for some semblance of normal, she was also afraid. She had grown up a fighter, she was used to that, but love demanded so much more. Opening up to love meant opening up to hurt. And opening up to distractions. And distractions meant potential failure. She frowned, fingers falling limply back to her lap. Lost innocence, shattered illusions. Their path was not an easy one.
"Shal…don't."
She heard Brennan's words repeated in her mind, mildly surprised when she looked and found his eyes open, frowning as he watched her, reading her a little too well.
"What happened today wasn't your fault."
His eyes were tense as he begged her to believe him. For that reason only, she kept her voice even when all she wanted to do was scream. She sighed, breaking eye contact. "I should have been paying better attention."
The water sloshed noisily as Brennan abruptly stood to his feet. "Damn it, Shalimar, stop blaming yourself for everything. You know it's not true." Lukewarm water ran down his arms, splashing eerily back into the tub.
She stood as well. "So what do you want me to say?" Her eyes were cold when they looked up at him. "That it's all your fault?"
His jaw flexed, voice tight. "Of course not. No one is to blame for what happened out there."
"Tell that to Jesse." She laughed mirthlessly. "Whose fault is it going to be, Brennan? The next time?"
When the cost was too high.
He had a sudden flashback to his dream. The look in her eyes now reminded him painfully of how she had looked at him then. His jaw flexed. "Shalimar…you don't have eyes in the back of your head." He reached for her, but she shrugged off his hand.
"Yeah, but I'm supposed to have two in front." She could see the protest leap to his lips, but he bit it back. She expected frustration to follow, and she watched him. What she got was uncertainty and an unexpected flash of apprehension. Then he pulled back into himself so far she lost sight of him. She felt her lips form his name in surprise. He stared at her, unreadable deliberations flirting behind shaded eyes as he stepped out of the tub, brushing past her.
"Brennan, wait." Her voice trembled, fearful, uncertain. Brennan having second thoughtsMaybe. Something lifted its head from the other side of the abyss and regarded her with calculated eyes.
Maybe not. She forced the doubt away, suddenly angry with herself anew. She was letting her fear of what could have happened destroy something that had just barely begun, the very same thing she had accused Brennan of doing back in the cave.
He had stopped at the door, one hand on the knob, cold water puddling at his feet. He shifted, tensing when she came up behind him, resting her hands on his broad back. His shirt clung to him, muscles rippling as he straightened.
"I'm sorry." She pressed her lips between his shoulder blades, reaching her hand out and gently pulling his away from the door knob.
He stilled, quietly twining their fingers together for a moment. "I understand what you're feeling, Shal, I do. But I thought we'd already decided all this, that the risk was worth it."
"I know." She leaned into his back, not caring about the dampness soaking into her robe.
"We can set all the rules in the world, but they mean nothing if you're going to blame everything that goes wrong on yourself, on us." His voice was quiet, tense. "We can't keep doing this, Shal."
He turned, and she reached her hand up around the back of his neck, pulling his lips down to hers.
"Shalimar—" He groaned her name against her lips, turning his head slightly.
"Yeah, I know." She let her arms drop from his neck, catching his wrist instead, pulling his hand up to her face. "I'm sorry." She kissed his palm, feeling the shudder that ran through him. His eyes focused on hers, and he gently brushed a stray hair from her forehead, drawing his hand down her face. She held eye contact, turning her face into his hand, kissing his palm again; once, twice, three times.
Brennan shook his head, eyes dark, pulling her face closer to him, kissing her on the lips, gently at first, then more passionately. She tugged on his wet shirt until he broke the kiss, yanking it over his head. She smiled approvingly, wrapping her arms around him tightly, and he turned them, lifting her up against the wall, her legs wrapping around him. Her robe parted, and his hands slipped underneath, holding her up by her thighs. He felt her tremble, reason returning, and he gentled the kiss, easing back. She whimpered when he broke the kiss again, and he smiled, resting her weight against the wall as his hands lifted and touched her face, his fingertips light on her cheek. They stared at one another, his eyes dark in the dim light. With a start, she realized the day had almost passed.
His fingers traced across her cheeks and nose, and she closed her eyes at his touch. "I should have asked you this first," He whispered, waiting until her eyes opened before continuing. "How are you feeling?"
"A little sore," She admitted, "But I'm fine, I'm good."
"Your back," He suddenly realized he was pressing their weight onto her bruised shoulder. He grunted in chagrin, carefully lowering her back to the floor.
"It's ok," She was quick to alleviate the guilt in his eyes. "I didn't even feel it." She admitted with a grin.
She saw relief flash through his eyes, changing to something unreadable. "I was scared today, Shal." He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, and they stared at each other. The moment stretched. His eyes were so deep, so familiar; she felt a pang of tenderness so strong it almost hurt.
"Me too." Her voice was husky.
He drew her across the space between them, fingers spreading out over her head, tucking her under his chin. With his other arm, he cradled her against his chest.
She welcomed the hug, laying still, her cheek on his heart, shutting her eyes and letting herself relax into the warmth of his skin, adjusting her breathing to the rise and fall of his chest. She let her mind empty of everything but his heart pounding under her ear and his fingers in her hair. All her unresolved feelings started to dissolve as her senses filled with him, the last bit of tension slipping out of her shoulder and back until her bones were melting into his. She wasn't going to think about tomorrow, or next week, or…whatever. She was just going to stand here, absorbing the rhythm of his body.
For a while, she didn't move until his fingers grew still. She tilted her head to look at his face. His eyes were still open, looking down, past her face.
She followed his gaze.
The neck of her robe had fallen open, exposing creamy skin. She let out her breath with a tiny rush, looking back up to meet his eyes. The expression in his was uncertain.
"Shal, about earlier…" He broke off, gesturing to the bathtub behind them. It was still filled with water, bubbles long evaporated. "I didn't—it wasn't---"
"Shh, I know." She silenced him, fingers against his lips.
His eyes searched hers, before nodding. His gaze dropped back down to her damp robe, looking resigned. "We should get you to the lab, Adam said he would finish taking care of your shoulder once you got some rest."
She sighed, nodding, indicating his wet jeans. "We should get dressed."
"Yeah." His mouth twitched, hands gentle on her shoulder for a brief moment before turning and walking out into his bedroom. He left the door open, padding back in after a moment, a bundle of clothes in his arms. "I wasn't sure what you'd want."
She smiled gratefully, accepting the clothes, waiting until he backed out again to look over the jeans and shirt he'd picked out for her. She was curious to know what he'd selected from her closet, smiling as she shook out the jeans and red lace undergarments tumbled to the floor. She chuckled, rolling her eyes at his selection. Trust Brennan to pick out her most revealing pair. She dressed quickly, pausing in front of the mirror, eyes drawn inexplicitly through the open door. She could see him through the mirror, pulling on a dry pair of jeans over his lean hips.
He seemed to sense her gaze, stilling, lifting his eyes and staring back at her reflection, eyes sliding slowly over her from head to toe. Every inch of her skin that his gaze caressed began to burn. Their eyes met in the mirror, smiling in understanding.
Later.
The lab was quiet when Shalimar entered, wincing as Adam used the dermal regenerator as gently as he could. Jesse was stirring, Emma sleeping in exhaustion, slumped in a chair next to him.
"How are they?" Shalimar spoke softly.
"They'll be fine, they just need to rest." Adam clicked his tongue in satisfaction a moment later. "There, done." He arched an eyebrow. "I suppose I would be wasting my breath telling you to do the same."
She chuckled, pausing to press a kiss to his cheek before making her way over to Jesse. The molecular's eyes opened as she approached.
"Hey," Her steps were quiet as she stepped up on the other side of him, careful not to disturb Emma. "How are you feeling?"
"Been better," Jesse groaned softly, pushing up into a sitting position. "How about you? Adam told me what they did to you and Brennan."
"Don't worry about me," She shrugged off his concern, "You just concentrate on getting better."
Jesse nodded, eyes straying to Emma as she moaned in her sleep. "I tried to get her to go to bed, but she wouldn't leave."
"I'm not surprised." Shalimar grinned. "She's tougher than we give her credit for sometimes."
"Yeah," Jesse sobered slightly. "Adam told me what she did as well."
"She saved us." Shalimar firmly interjected.
Jesse nodded. "I think maybe she was afraid to tell us how powerful she's become." He eyed Shalimar for a moment. "I also think she's not the only one afraid of something."
"Jess—" Shalimar stiffened at the change of subject, glancing away.
"Shalimar," Jesse eased back down onto the bed, his voice strong and comforting. "We can't always be prepared for what life throws our way. Sometimes you just have to take things as they come, not over analyze them."
"Yeah, I know." She raised her brows. "Brennan's been basically telling me the same thing."
"How are things with you two?"
"Hey, Jess, aren't you supposed to be resting?" She half-heartedly countered, falling silent when he refused to be swayed. "I…I love him, Jess. I know I do, but…it's just really hard."
"Yeah, I know." Jesse held eye contact. "Change is hard, loving someone is hard. Sometimes…sometimes you don't know where you stand or what tomorrow will bring." He glanced over at Emma, hand running through her red hair as she slept with her head leaning against the bed. "But I'm learning that's also part of the beauty of it."
Shalimar watched as his fingers played with a strand of Emma's hair, blinking away the tears that suddenly clogged in the back of her throat.
"Shalimar," Jesse's eyes were on her once more. "I know that getting close to someone makes you feel vulnerable, and that you hate feeling that way. But I'm telling you, sometimes vulnerability isn't such a bad thing. You may feel weaker at first, but when you're vulnerable to one person; it helps you be a whole lot stronger when facing the rest of the world."
She shook her head, eyes closing.
"You know who taught me that?" Jesse's hand fell on her shoulder as he cautiously leaned back up. "You did."
The tears did come then, filling her eyes despite her effort to stop them. She swallowed hard, nodding jerkily, understanding what he was saying. "Thanks, Jess." Emma stirred again, and Shalimar abruptly straightened. "I'll leave you two alone." Her hand was whisper soft on his shoulder, gone before he could respond.
"Jesse?"
"Hey, you're awake." Jesse's heart sped up as Emma turned her beautiful eyes onto him. He sat up, gingerly swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, facing her.
"Careful," She sprang from her chair, catching him when he would have fallen.
"I'm ok," Jesse gasped, leaning into her heavily, sinking back down onto the bed.
"Uh-huh," Emma snorted dryly. "You're forgetting who you're talking to, I know you're hurting, so don't deny it."
"That's not fair," Jesse grumbled, grimacing as he lay back down on the bed.
She smiled, bending over him. "Besides, you're supposed to be resting."
"So everyone keeps reminding me." Jesse caught her hands in his, tugging her down, framing her face. "Emma, I know doing mental battle with those mutants left you exhausted, you should be resting as well."
"Shh, no. I'm not leaving, so don't even try to make me." She shook her head. "Besides, I'm right where I want to be." She caught his lips in a gentle kiss, swallowing any further protest.
The night was quiet, dreamless, and the following day dawned before they felt ready for it. It was a tired group that gathered for breakfast, Jesse refusing to stay in bed any longer. When Adam entered the room, they looked up, immediately recognizing his look.
"What is it, Adam?" Emma spoke up, hand falling protectively on Jesse's knee beneath the table.
"I've been going over the surveillance from yesterday," Adam looked uncharacteristically excited. "I only got a distance glimpse, but I recognized our seller as an old colleague of mine. I made contact, and he's agreed to give us the list."
"What?" Shalimar's spoon clattered back to her plate, loud in the silence. "You're kidding."
Brennan's brows rose. "He's going to hand it over, just like that?"
"He's been on the run from Eckhart, I promised him our protection in return." Adam rested his palms flat on the table, leaning forward. "This is the break we've been looking for."
"So do we know what's on this list?" Jesse's face was pale with pain, but determined to be involved.
"You should still be in bed," Adam paused to reprimand the molecular before nodding to the others. "I know it contains medical records, but have not determined in what capacity. What we do know is that Eckhart is determined to get his hands on these records, and we need to know why."
"What are you thinking?" Shalimar recognized the gleam in his eye."I'm thinking we beat him at his own game, that we be the ones setting him up this time."
"You want to stage another meet?" Emma glanced at Jesse.
"Exactly." Adam pointed at the psionic, smiling around the table. "But this time, we'll be posing as the seller."
"Won't Eckhart's goons recognize us?" Brennan cast a doubtful look at their mentor.
"Eckhart's agents have been advised that you are now working with the seller and have the list, and that if any further harm comes to any of you, the deal is off."
"It might work." Shalimar spoke up after a moment.
"I'm going." Jesse stood to his feet, hands clutching the back of his chair.
"Jesse, no." Emma immediately shook her head.
"I'm going." Jesse's voice bode no argument, jaw clenched. "This time it's personal." He locked eyes with Brennan.
The elemental nodded in understanding. "I'm going with you then."
Emma frowned, but didn't argue further. "Shalimar and I will be right behind you then too."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Jesse flashed her a grin.
"It's settled then." Adam turned. "Either way, we end this thing once and for all."
"Hey Adam?" Shalimar called after him. "The seller, what's his name?"
Adam paused, glancing over his shoulder, expression inscrutable as he disappeared from sight. "Dr. Richard Haines."
What happened next defied logic. The meet should have been simple. They should have had the upper hand. But even as they watched it back on the flex scan that had been fixed to Brennan's forehead, they still couldn't believe it.
Super mutants.
Made to order.
Dr.Haines getting killed in the crossfire, the list seemingly dying with him.
Brennan's mind whirling as he tossed restlessly in bed.
Adam voice, gravely reminding them that he wasn't the only scientist working on the genetic code.
The list.
Brennan sat straight up in bed, heart pounding, suddenly remembering.
A doctor's voice, playing from a bronzed statue of a wizened tree, whispering in urgency.
Beside him, Shalimar was locked in her own tableau, reliving another childhood dream that wasn't her own. A lanky dark-haired little boy, small sparks of electricity dancing on his fingers, glancing both ways and meeting the smiling faces of his friends as he boosted his first car at ten years old. A tow-haired leader and a small round face with owlishly large eyes; his friends surrounding him, clapping him on the back in boyish excitement. Their first walk on the wild side. She rolled restlessly in her sleep.
Brennan slowly lay back down, only to shoot back up a second time as bright light flooded the room. He squinted, blinking, turning toward Shalimar, freezing when he found himself alone. Not again. In the rush of their mission, he had almost forgotten about his dream. He hadn't expected to live it again. He tiptoed to his door, peering out. Sure enough, there she was, the strange woman with long dark hair who had been in his room.She sat at the computer, Jesse across from her.
"So Adam was a mad scientist, huh?"
"Sometimes people let their obsessions drive them to do more harm than good."
"Is that why you left him, you didn't trust him any more?"
"Maybe."
What the hell?
He drew back at their words, eyes closing when he heard Shalimar call his name, tired, angry.
"Brennan."
He turned slowly, wincing at the stark difference of the thin woman standing before him.
"Hey." He nodded uncertainly, noticing she was wearing her jacket. "You going out?"
She shrugged, chin lifting slightly.
He shifted, leaning his hip against the door frame, trying to look casual, trying to understand. "Why don't we go out, get some dinner?" She didn't even smile, turning to leave after a heavy pause of silence. "Shal, wait—" He called after her, not even knowing what he was going to say. He was desperate to get her to stay, to find out what was going on.
All at once she turned, stalking back toward him. "This isn't working." She met his eyes directly for the first time.
"What?" He straightened from the door.
"This." Her shrug included the entire mountain.
"This? What?" He struggled to follow.
"Us."
He froze. "Us? What—"
"I think we need to spend some time apart."
He stared at her warily.
She stared warily back.
He licked his lips, clearing his throat. "How much time?"
She didn't answer.
His stomach twisted, heart slamming painfully, voice husky. "Why are you doing this?"
He jumped when she suddenly leaned forward, angry. "How the hell can you ask me that, Brennan? After everything that's happened?" She slammed one hand into the doorframe near his head, then bent her head, resting it against her arm, eyes closed. Finally she lifted her head and looked at him, eyes bleak. "I can't do this anymore."
"Shal…"
She stared at him, shaking her head. "I want this over with, now."
Frustration boiled over, and he raised his chin, eyes narrowing. "Over? Damn it, Shalimar, I don't even know what is going on here." He swallowed, throat tight. Her eyes, her eyes were breaking his heart. The expression in them…half defensive, half paralyzed with grief…fear. His mouth opened, then closed. "Shal—"
"What?" The anger was suddenly gone from her voice, the exhaustion back in her stance.
He gestured aimlessly, struggling to understand. Was he still dreaming? He only knew one thing. She was about to walk away from him. "Please don't leave." His heart constricted as she leaned into him, eyes hooded. "I love you." The whispered words were torn from his chest.
There was a heavy pause, and then a small, painful smile flitted across her mouth. "I love you too." She swallowed convulsively, running a light hand across his stubbled cheek, hating the desperation in his eyes. Abruptly, her hand dropped. "But it isn't enough." Agony vibrated between them as her fingers pressed into his for a brief moment, cold metal brushing against his skin. She backed up a step, a whisper of air escaping her lips as she turned and walked away without looking back.
His fingers shook as he lifted his hand, opening his fingers to reveal his mother's pendant necklace.
The one he hadn't given to her yet.
He didn't know how long he stood there, waiting.
Numb.
Unsure.
Waiting for the light to flood the room, waiting for his eyes to open, waiting to find himself still in bed with Shalimar.
Time ticked by.
And still he was waiting.