Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Here is the epilogue for you! It's a strange feeling to be posting the final chapter after spending the past seven months on this story and the past year on this series. I'm sorry again for having to condense the final chapters as I know I'm giving up more than I would have liked, but I can't stand leaving something unfinished, so this was the compromise. I made a video clip as a companion to this story, so if you have time, I would love for you to check it out on my little site. I'm still quite the novice with vidding, but it was a fun challenge to make! It's been a long road, and I thank you all so much for traveling this journey with me. I couldn't have done it without your support and encouragement! Thank you!

A/N II: Thank you so much to the following: Mari, this series would never have happened if not for you. Thank you for sharing your time, your talent, and your friendship with me. Vivi, thank you for always being there. Audrey, you're awesome! Thank you for your unbiased opinions and assistance. Rogue, thank you for giving your time when you had so little to give. Rachel, thanks so much for the emails and sharing your time and talent. Redhead2, I'm so jealous you got to meet Forbes March! I will mostly definitely be there for your next story. Thank you for all your encouraging words! Blackpanther, Mayra, Rain, CatJerica, Fiery Feral, you guys have consistently been there for me over the past year, and I can't thank you enough for all your words and insight. Susie, Anamalia-Fear, Kitty Invictus, Tunder28, skimmboardergurl, your enthusiasm and support has meant wonders to me. Thank you! To all of you who took the time to leave such kind and thoughtful reviews: Jessica, Lisa, tantumfan, AussieMXfan, ShalBrenLove, Cassidy Wich, rena, Shal35, Mxfan214, Adele, EternalFire-angel, Courtney, Marie, Angel35, Kerry, Rachel, ShalFan, Cristina, Stephanie, Anne, Aurore-e, Crazy-Kitty-19, melodie568, and to anyone kind enough to review this last chapter—Thank you all so much!

Traveling On—Epilogue

Two months later:

Footprints.

Brennan stared down at the smudged impressions in the sand, small smile playing around his lips that such a mundane thing now gave him pause. It had been nearly eight weeks since his leg had been injured, but he was just now gaining the strength to walk again. His injury had been severe; impalement. For a while there had been fear he would lose the leg. Dormant feral genes and sheer stubbornness brought slow recovery to the damaged muscle. And today, almost exactly eights weeks to the day of the injury, he was walking again.

Footprints.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, shoulders rounded against the drizzling rain. Shalimar had told him the sun had shone nearly every day while he had been laid up in Sanctuary. His smile twisted ruefully, face lifting to the sky, not minding the coolness of the drizzling mist. The sun was fighting to come out, a pale outline in a gray cloud, and he sympathized with it, could relate with it. The ocean rolled, waves lapping wistfully, begging him to play. He complied, kicking a spray of water back into the wave, and the ocean roared in response. Behind him, Shalimar laughed aloud, and he turned, shooting her a grin. She waved, pointing up the beach to indicate she would wait for him there. He nodded, turning back around, grateful for the petite feral. She had been his lifeline over the past few months, and she understood his need to take these first steps on his own.

But still she had his back. Still she watched him.

And he wouldn't expect anything less from her.

His leg trembled beneath him, and he hated the deep weakness still in his body; He was determined to make it through this outing without the dreaded crutch Shalimar held for him. It had been a gradual process, from flat on his back in bed, to a wheelchair, to the crutches. But here he was. He exhaled deeply. It was a soft, spring evening. A spray mist hung over the breakers, glowing dimly in the light from the waning sun. The sweetness of the air caught him by surprise. The rain was a cleansing one, a healing one, and for today at least, he welcomed the feel of it, the smell of salt and wet sand wrapping around him. He took another deep breath and it filled his lungs. He loved it here.

Things had been relatively quiet the past few months since Eckhart died. A few small missions, a few rumblings in the underground, more secrets from Adam as he whispered frantically with his sources behind closed doors.

And Alex was gone.

He had stayed through the rockiness of the first couple of weeks, hovering over Brennan until Adam recovered enough himself to take over, ordering him to get some sleep and happily reclaiming control over his lab. But once the worst had past and Brennan began to show recovery, the restlessness had returned to the other man. He had paced until even the vastness of Sanctuary felt overly confining, the relief stark in his eyes when Brennan had kindly and pointedly told him he could leave.

Ironically enough, it was Alex who had also taken Danny. During those first few weeks of unknown, the little boy had been a source of comfort for Alex and when he was finally able to see beyond the worry for his brother, Alex saw the pain and need of the little life beside him. And with a fierceness that surprised all of them, he had poured all of his energy into healing them both. They were a mismatched pair, the sensitive little boy with owlish eyes and too large glasses and the burdened man with bulky strength and disillusioned heart.

But they worked.

Another example of how they defied the world's sense of normalcy each and every day.

The ocean sent another round of waves lapping at his feet, and Brennan stopped walking. He was tired. But a good tired, he decided as he turned and stared out across the water. It was getting colder, the dampness settling on his skin.

There was so much that was still unknown.

Eckhart was dead, but they were just beginning to sense the ramifications.

Mutant X had been subtly and utterly changed. They had been birthed in pain and fought desperately in secrecy. They had grown up. Illusion was gone, but misdirection prevailed. They were all a part of it now. The bending, rough-cut mask had been removed, and they clenched all the more tightly together.

Shalimar had faced her childhood nightmares and had faced her father. While her relationship with him was still tenuous, it was a start. For now at least, she seemed content to leave it be. It had been Nicholas who had helped them piece the final pieces together. In the end, it had been so simple. Adam hadn't known what happened to Haines after he left Genomex, how he had come to be driving a Naxcon company car, but Nicholas had seen his picture and had recognized him as an employee. Damien's befriending of Shalimar's father hadn't been just to gain access to Shalimar or to the company's resources. It had also been to find the list, Haines' work. Adam's work, Brennan mentally corrected, eyes narrowing slightly. It had led to Danny's kidnapping, the start of their dreams, and the revelation of Brennan and Alex's haunting connection to the souls of those murdered people. The violet-eyed psionic had been a made to order mutant, made stronger because of DNA from Alex, and a picture of what, his brother had quietly shared, Alex could have been had he not been saved by Shalimar's love early in life. She had shown him friendship, and Eckhart had never stood a chance.

And then there was the prophecy.

A hawk cawed abruptly, breaking the silence; a muscle tightening in Brennan's jaw the only indicator he was aware.

There had been a second part of the prophecy not told in Dr. Shaw's messages. Dr. Shaw had revealed the foretelling of twins, that together would be the most powerful ever known. But only Adam had known the rest of it, a foretelling of a time when the power of those same twins would have great affect on the world. Adam's explanation had been vague, dismissive, but a part of Brennan still wondered if he knew more than he said. The precog had never been found, his name lost amidst the destruction of the underground facilities. But it had been worth it, bringing to light the horrors of those tortured souls, and putting an end to it all. No more would a mutant suffer in the hands of experimentation. And no more could his brother's blood be used against them. Adam had dismissed the prophecy, but Eckhart had believed it. And that unnerved Brennan. Everything they had uncovered, everything they now knew, it had been all about Alex. Brennan couldn't help but wonder what his part in all of it was supposed to be.

The hawk called again, a lonely sound, until another finally answered.

Shalimar.

Brennan turned, heading back down the beach to where she patiently stood waiting, suddenly tired of being alone. She straightened when she saw him coming, walking forward to meet him halfway. She held out the crutch quizzically, tossing it aside when his brow furrowed, slipping under his arm, staying silent when he leaned heavily into her strength.

It was a given.

They watched each other, and they leaned on each other.

They slowly wound their way back to Sanctuary. The smell of the sea was stronger now, the tide turning, leaving the sand flats bare, stretching smoothly behind them save for two sets of smudged impressions side by side in the sand, merging and colliding over the single path, traveling onward.

Footprints.

Sanctuary was warm and quiet when they slipped back inside, the others nowhere to be seen in the vast mountain home. They were soaked through, Brennan's rubber shoes squeaking noisily with each wet step toward his room. Shalimar clucked her tongue when he just laughed at her pointed expression. He didn't care that he was sopping wet, that his clothes clung miserably to his frame or that he was starting to shiver with the cold. His fingers traveled up Shalimar's slender back, tugging teasingly on her wet locks. She flashed him a grin, giving him a gentle shove through his door when he tried to kiss her.

"Hey—" His protest was cut off when she abruptly slammed against him, the thump of the closing door lost on him as she filled his senses. Wet. Warmth. Love. He couldn't focus on one single thing, impressions overwhelming him at once as her presence filled his nose and she closed her mouth over his. Softly. Gently. Urgently. He groaned as she edged closer, arms winding around his neck in a tender hug. When she pulled back, he met her eyes, smoothing his fingers across the faint freckles on either cheekbone, one hand slipping into her hair. They both watched as he gently lifted the ends of her hair, letting them drift through his fingers before his hand dropped. His eyes rose to meet hers again, cupping the nape of her neck, gently stroking her earlobe with his thumb. She tilted her head into his palm, smiling when he shook his head slightly.

"Shalimar," His voice was hoarse with emotion, and she burrowed more closely into him, leaning him back against the edge of the bed, drawing him down with her and settling against his chest. He held her close, and she lay still, her cheek on his heart. She closed her eyes and let herself relax into his warmth, adjusting her breathing to the rise and fall of his chest, and let her mind empty of everything but his heart pounding under her ear and his fingers rubbing her scalp. After a while, the gentle fingers caressing the back of her head stopped. She lay still, wondering if he'd fallen asleep. He must be exhausted. She didn't really want to move. She wanted to lie here holding him. For a while, she didn't move, just listening to the distant hum of their home, the occasional chirp of a computer. Finally, she sighed. They were too damp for him to sleep this way; she'd have to wake him up. She tilted her head to look at his face. His eyes were still open; he was looking down into her face.

She watched him watch her and felt something like amazement overtake her. Whatever it was that had kept them apart all those years, that had filled her with doubt even after they were together, had disappeared. Amidst the discoveries of the last few months, they had melded into one. She could tell by his eyes that he felt it too.

"What?" She could barely whisper, and he could barely reply.

"Your face, so serious…"

I love you, she thought. It's as simple as that.

He smiled suddenly, and it lit up his eyes and his face, and sent a wave of warmth crashing through her.

"I want to show you something."

His soft words took her by surprise, and she bit back a groan of protest when he gently untangled himself from her arms. She sat up, watching him as he rose, limping slightly as he walked toward a tall bureau in the corner. He opened a middle drawer, rummaging around for a moment before pulling out a large leather-bound book. An album. She hadn't expected that. Now that he was finally on the mend, they hadn't been able to get enough of each other. She watched, curious, as he settled back beside her on the bed, curling comfortably into him, chin on his chest, waiting. He sighed, fingers hesitating on the rich leather cover, and she tilted her head to read his expression. His smile was inexplicitly shy, his eyes serious as he opened the book. The pictures were aged, the edges slightly yellowed, but she knew immediately before he even told her.

"This was my mother, Shal." His fingers brushed across the photo. "And this was me." He touched a chubby baby smiling toothlessly into the camera.

"You were loved."

It wasn't a question, but he gave a slow infinitesimal nod as he turned the page. She remembered his nightmares, eyes suddenly stinging as he shared his pictures with her. There were only a handful, but she understood their meaning. Brennan at been left alone at only nine years old, too young to be alone. He had grown up on the streets, had never really known what home was like. She had. But then she had been thrust from her home at ten years old and had been left to fend for herself. She had been beaten, abused, until she escaped. And then she was on the streets too. Their backgrounds were more similar than they had even known. Alex had been the first family she had ever known, and then he too had disappeared. Everyone she had ever loved had disappeared. She closed her eyes at the familiar pain, turning away so he wouldn't see the sudden tears tripping onto him, but Brennan's hand had worked its way back into her hair, trapping her head close to his own so their eyes were only six inches apart.

"You are loved too, Shal."

She nodded slightly within the confines of his hands. Tears were still dripping on him, and now her nose was threatening to drip on him too.

"No one is going to disappear on you, not this time."

He had understood more than she realized. She nodded against his hands, watching his eyes; they were glistening slightly with moisture too. He smiled slightly at her searching look, brushing his lips over her eyelids for long moments, hands loosening as he looked away from her and back at the photos again. She dropped her head and rested it against his neck, turning to stare at the photos too. The next one of him showed him laughing…

Gently he stroked her hair.

They lay in silence for a long time.

It was their combined shivering that finally roused them. She felt his hand touch hers, then slide to link with her fingers. "We should get back to the lab," She finally broke the silence with a sigh. "Adam's going to want to know how you're holding up."

"I'm holding up just fine," Brennan murmured, tucking his fingers under the back of her shirt and stroking her lower back. "Besides, Adam will just want to run a bunch of tests. He'll talk and talk and talk…" His fingers stroked higher, pushing up her shirt. "I've spent too much time in that lab the past two months already. I'd rather stay here and talk to you."

She tilted her head so she could see him. His eyes were full of an emotion she couldn't pinpoint. Excitement was there, and hope. She couldn't help but grin playfully back.

His eyes dropped to her mouth. "Hey, Shal," He breathed, "I missed you."

She gave a little gasp as his hands slid suddenly up her shoulders and into her hair. He tilted her head back, bent his head, and gave her a long, slow deep kiss.

"Brennan," She said a little breathlessly when his mouth left hers and moved slowly across her cheek to her ear. "You know Adam will just end up interrupting us—"

"I can't keep my hands off of you. You'll just have to put up with it." He ducked his head and kissed the notch of her throat.

She tried to block out the sensation of his mouth tasting her neck, groaning in only mild protest. "I thought you wanted to talk?" She tried half-heartedly one more time.

He slanted a look up at her and grinned. "We are talking."

She laughed, giving in and ducking her head to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, closer. The album slid between them, digging into her hip, and she shifted, about to move it.

"Wait, Shal." Brennan reached between them, pulling the album back onto his lap, flipping over to the last page. There was a built in pocket, bulging slightly. She watched as he opened it, pulling out a pendant that she recognized immediately. His fingers wrapped around it as he lowered his arm and looked up at her. She reached out and ran one finger down the line of his cheek, along the stubble at the edge of his jaw, across his full bottom lip.

He watched her in silence, motionless for a moment, reaching up with his free hand and catching her hand, pressing the cool gold into her fingers, kissing her palm.

She shook her head at the gesture. "It was your mother's."

"You recognize it."

She didn't imagine the little catch in his voice. The pendant meant a lot to him. She uncurled her fingers; gold winking back at them in the dim light. Brennan closed his palm over hers, finally picking it up and leaning forward, laying it around her neck. It fell heavy between her breasts, and he reached out one finger to very lightly trace the line of the gold chain against her neck. The look in his eyes scared her and left her breathless at the same time.

"Fasten it for me?" She managed.

He lifted the hair at the nape of her neck and smoothed it over one shoulder. She could feel his fingers working the clasp, and then he ducked his head and she felt his lips on the back of her neck. He ran his mouth in a long trailing kiss that started at her nape and ended at the hollow of her throat.

"Brennan…are you sure?" She trembled at the implication.

"Oh yeah."

She smiled at his tone, arms reaching up around his neck, hanging on as he leaned them back down, rolling her beneath him. He framed her face, looking at her. His eyes…the colors had changed as he watched her and now they were clear coppery brown, the pupils big and deep.

"I love you," He breathed, clearing his throat a little. "I love, Shal."

His voice was raw.

"I love you, too." Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him down. Beneath his kiss was tenderness, a loneliness and a hunger that matched her own. For so much of their lives, they didn't have a safe place. They had both traveled hard roads, and they had led them here. Sanctuary, the team…Brennan. They had become each other's safe place. They held on tight, sliding into each other as the edges meshed and something clicked with a force that almost hurt, with colors too beautiful to hold.

Jesse was bored.

Bored and hungry, he amended with raised brows, rapping his fingers against his knees, watching as Emma stared intently at the chessboard.

She sighed, and he rolled his eyes at the sound. He had lost count of the number of times she had done that in the last few minutes since Adam had left to answer an incoming message. She sighed again, rolling her bottom lip between her white teeth in a gesture he normally would have found adorable. But right now, it annoyed him. She still didn't see it. The next move was so obvious. He reached over. "If you just—"

"Jesse!" She slapped his hand away.

He groaned, pouting as she didn't even look at him, slumping back against the couch, knee bouncing in impatient energy. Finally, painstakingly she moved, hand bouncing between two pieces before sliding one forward just as Adam returned, sliding back into his vacant seat across the board.

"That was Alex." The older man explained, eyes already studying the board. "He and Danny are doing well. They want to talk to Brennan." He pushed a piece almost carelessly, standing back before he had barely sat down. Jesse rolled his eyes pointedly at Emma, startling when she suddenly jabbed an elbow into his side. He frowned, about to protest, when he caught her expression.

Oh.

He quickly jumped to his feet. "Actually, I wanted to talk to Alex myself. I'll, ah, I'll let Brennan know after I'm done." He clamped a hand on Adam's shoulder, gently pushing him back down. "You stay here and finish your game."

"Thanks, Jesse." Emma's eyes sparked with a cheerful mix of mischievous taunting and thanks. Her silent laughter invited him to share the joke. He allowed himself a small quirk of the lips that only Emma would notice and interpret correctly, giving Adam's shoulder a final pat as he turned to walk away. He grinned, turning away, suddenly cheerful. Studying her face, he had come to two conclusions. He had done well, and she would tell him all about it later.

The misting rain had turned into a gentle storm when the faint aroma of melting chocolate began wafting through Sanctuary's halls.

"I thought we could celebrate Brennan's recovery with a picnic," Adam explained with a smile when the four members of his team found him bending over the fireplace.

"Now?" Jesse's brows shot into his hairline, even as he tried to get a peek over Adam's shoulder. Whatever he was doing smelled heavenly. "It's pouring rain outside."

"Which is why I'm improvising." Adam finally turned his body sideways to look at them.

"Adam—" Shalimar grinned in sudden excitement. "You didn't?"

"I did." He triumphantly held out a stick to her, which she eagerly accepted, plopping down next to him by the fire. Her third marshmallow was already toasted brown by the time Brennan retrieved a handful of throw pillows from the rec room, tossing some over to Jesse and Emma, gingerly sitting down next to her, stretching his tender leg straight out in front of him.

"S'mores!" She grinned at him, rising up slightly as he slid a pillow under her.

"I see that," He shook his head at the smear of chocolate on her face. She stilled as he reached out, gently wiping her cheek, eyes crinkling with tenderness as he leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. He settled behind her, and she leaned back into his arms.

There were those would say they had made sacrifices for what they had. Chosen paths that had cost them dearly even as they fought to find the truth beneath the lies. They had made themselves into images outside the norm.

But those others were blind and did not see.

They had always made their own choices. That was the point. They made choices outside the accepted paths, and in doing so, uncovered truth. The rules were only illusions that had power only because they accepted them. They chased the things that could not be held, could not be brought to justice. They believed in each other, mapping the edges of their souls, lending strength. A lone voice shouting into wind, unsupported, no matter how committed, must eventually tire and give in. But the strength found in taking that journey together lent unwavering ties. For this team of five, the masks had been broken, the walls torn away until all that was left was their souls, stripped and laid bare to each other.

Becoming inextricably and utterly combined.

And in each their souls could be heard the chants of time, hints of the past and whispers of the future.

It was how they chose to live in the present moment that made the difference.

Brennan rested his chin on Shalimar's warm hair, eyes drifting to each member of his family; at Emma as she complained about Adam beating her at yet another game, the angled planes of her face free of the pain of darkness; at Jesse as he swiped a marshmallow off Shalimar's roasting stick, crowing triumphantly; at Adam as he shook his head at all their antics, smiling widely, peacefully; at Shalimar as she tipped her head back to his, eyes sparkling in the firelight.

"I love these things," Jesse enthusiastically broke the silence, cheeks bulging as he crammed an entire treat into his mouth.

Emma laughed, jumping to her feet, dashing breathlessly back after a moment, camera in hand. "Come on, it's for my photo album," She smiled convincingly when the others immediately began protesting.

One week later, Jesse groaned audibly when Emma updated her album and a picture of his chocolate smeared hair ended up next to the picture of him airborne over a daisy.

Four weeks later, when a slightly beaten up package finally reached Alex and Danny in their travels, they couldn't stop laughing when crazy pictures came tumbling out.

Eight years later, the pictures followed Danny to University, taped onto the wall behind his computer, bringing laughter on many a late night.

And many years later, one was found inside an antique pendant locket, a tiny picture of young lovers aged until it had become permanently fused to the precious metal as it was handed down through the generations.

The End!

"But in my soul I plainly heard that chant of the seasons and time—chant, not of the past only, but of the future. Then out from behind this bending rough-cut mask, lingering a moment here and now, to you I turn as on a road, pausing, inclining…to draw and clench your soul inseparably with mine, then travel, travel on." –Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass