Speechless as usual! Thanks to you all. Here is the new chapter as a kind of delayed Christmas present. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Chapter 9

The restless feeling that had settled in Emma's mind during the last days of the fieldtrip only peaked when they reached the parking lot of the school. It was there at the hem of her mind, like some hidden truth. She could still feel Casey's presence close to her, spying on her movements, her thoughts. The ever-present coldness made her shiver slightly despite the sweater she was wrapped in.

Students get past her, telling her how much fun they had had. She replied absently, unable to focus. Things, people were moving around her but she was lost in her inner torment. Rory, Nina and Sam were the last one to tell them goodbye. They had made the right decision to tell them the whole truth.

And soon enough they were alone in the coolness of a dawning day. She knew what was coming. Brennan would want explanations. Explanations that would probably not make sense. It didn't even make sense to her. The elemental lead her to their car and helped her in. A few minutes elapsed before he finally found the strength to ask her what had been on his mind for the last forty-eight hours.

"What really happened back there, Emma?"

It was there. The question she had been dreading. For one split second, she considered lying. But she had vowed to herself a long time ago that she would never lie to someone she loved.

"I'm not sure. It's…"

Silence stretched in the car as they went by the small town, streetlights casting an orange glow in the car then suddenly fading when they reached the outskirts of town. Brennan waited for her to go on, knowing there was no use pushing her. He stole a glance at her when they reached their street. The young woman seemed to be searching for words, fiddling with her hands as if it could help her. Her blank look and nervousness only added to his worry.

"I think my 'powers' are still growing. I instinctively knew how to make him release Patti. Something like that never happened before."

She paused unsure how to go on. She wanted to look at him, to find back that little glint; the one that could make her feel safe. But she was afraid; almost too afraid not to see it.

"I'm afraid, Brennan; afraid to loose control, afraid to hurt you or someone I care for. I'm even afraid of myself."

The car finally stopped in their alley. Her secret was out in the open, like some poisonous gift. He turned lightly in his seat to truly watch her. He knew what she was going through. The loss of control, the sensation that the ground was giving way beneath your feet; he had experienced it. She would have to learn how to cope with it. It saddened him to see her struggling like he had a few weeks ago. His fingers brushed against her cheeks. A deeper fear was hidden beneath her words.

"I'm not afraid of you, Emma."

His whispered words made her look up at him. There was an unspoken undertone of love and trust that was worming his way beneath her skin. The coldness she had been experiencing on their trip back was quickly receding, leaving her wrapped in warm peace and safety. The sensation changed her tensed smile into a full-fledged grin. She should have known that he wouldn't reject her.

"Come on, I'm dying to sleep in a real bed. We'll unload the car and call Adam tomorrow."

The words whispered against her lips made her smile knowing what it entailed.

"No rocks sticking in our backs…"

"No one around…"

XXX

It was barely 7 AM when the sun entered their bedroom. Soft rays of light brushed against the tangled sheets and reflected on two comlinks carelessly tossed on the bedside table. A soft breeze blew in caressing bare skin, raising goose bumps on its way. A strong hand brought back the covers on the two people lying on the bed, tucking them safely.

The elemental had been awake for a few minutes now. Minutes he had spent watching the woman peacefully sleeping in his arms. Never in his life had he thought that he would find happiness in the arms of his best friend. Especially after the bickering of the last few months. It had been a useless loss of time, a hurting process where both of them had suffered. But now it was over. His hand softly stroked her face. Emma stirred lightly but didn't wake up. She snuggled closer to him searching his warmth. Life here was so different from Mutant X. Their time with their friends seemed so far away right now. Maybe it was the occasion he had been waiting for all his life. Emma finally opened her eyes, shortcutting his introspection.

"Morning."

He propped himself on one elbow to watch her more carefully. After a quick kiss, she closed her eyes back contentedly before taking his hand and resting it just above her heart.

"Morning love."

"Em, do you regret what happened yesterday night?"

She smiled at him with her eyes still closed. Sometimes his insecurity was so blatant, so in contradiction to his attitude.

"Bren…"

Her voice held a little warning tone.

"That was a stupid question?"

"Yep."

She didn't elaborate further. And he didn't ask her to.

"We have to call Adam."

Emma groaned knowing that their leader would jump in the Helix the moment he knew what had happened. It would only be a matter of hours. And it would only complicate things to have him snooping around. He watched her displeased frown, knowing what was worrying her. It wasn't what he wanted to do. But it was their job and the more they waited, the less pleasant it would be.

"Can you do it please Bren? I don't think I can handle Adam right now."

The moment she had opened her eyes, he knew that he was lost. He would do anything for her; even subject himself to Adam's wrath.

"Ok but on one condition."

"And what would be your price mister Mulwray?"

The two started to laugh as they rolled on the bed playfully wrestling. The storm would come their way soon enough.

XXX

Adam got out of the car, quickly followed by Jesse and Shalimar. Emma watched them not knowing what to do or say. In less than three weeks, her life had changed drastically. That mission had opened some new doors she had never truly considered. She was no longer sure about some of her life choices. She was no longer sure about Mutant X.

But it was not the right moment to have doubts. They had a mission to complete. Putting a bright smile on her face, she followed Brennan down the stairs of the porch to greet her friends. To any bystanders, they would appear like a family. But Emma knew better than that. Once they would be inside the house, the storm would unleash its fury.

Brennan closed the door behind him and rested his back on it. Adam was pacing relentlessly in their living room, a furious look plastered on his face. Jesse and Shal had set their luggage on the floor near the couch. Emma had left them to prepare coffee. He suspected it was to avoid a direct confrontation with Adam.

"You should have sent Patricia to us, in sanctuary. Not away in some undetermined place. That was a stupid move, Brennan."

The elemental calmly crossed his arms on his chest. Emma had been the one to make that decision and he trusted her judgement.

"I made the decision. Brennan only agreed with me."

Emma's voice stopped Adam's pacing. She entered the room carrying a tray with coffee cups and tea. She set it on the coffee table and handed a cup to her two friends.

"Emma, what has come over you? And why did you wait to call us?"

She came to him and handed their leader a cup with a quietness that surprised him.

"Trust me, Adam. I know the exact extent of Casey's power. Patricia is safe right now. Beside, if he wants a victim, he will come on to me. It might be a bit risky but that's the only way to neutralize him. As for calling you 'so late' there was nothing you could have done. We'll have to wait."

Adam shook his head. How could she think like that? Many people had tried to stop Casey and had failed.

"No, Emma! The only way to stop him is to locate the body he's in. Then we have to put him in a pod. That's why we are here; to help you."

The psionic turned around and handed Brennan a cup of tea. She wanted to strangle Adam right then. He knew he was lying to them. She was their only hope to stop him.

"Adam, you're lying and you know it."

XXX

Two days had elapsed without any incident. Emma and Brennan had gone back to school. Jesse and Shalimar had searched the place on the pretext of visiting town without any results. Adam had spent most of his time bent on the reports from the nemesis project, trying to find another way to stop Casey. He hated to admit it; but Emma was right. He could not give the young mutant a new life. He could not cure his insanity. Emma was their only hope. She and Brennan had dealt with the situation perfectly.

He closed wearily the file and rubbed his forehead. Waiting was killing him inside. It was not his nature to wait for things to happen. They could have stayed in sanctuary. It probably wouldn't have changed a thing. But he needed to be there, he needed to make sure this peculiar mistake would be corrected.

XXX

The sound of chalk scrapping on the blackboard filled the silence. Students were frantically scribbling down notes while discreetly checking the clock on the wall.

"So, if you derive the equation a first time you get the slope. The second derivate gives you the maximum and minimum of the function. I want you to do those exercises with that in mind."

Emma took her time to write several numbers of exercises for their next lecture. She smiled at the blackboard before turning to face her class. She was ready to give them their assignment when she felt it again.

Casey.

Her limbs became heavier as that monster enclosed her. The classroom and her screaming students faded away. Everything around her was spinning. She felt her knees giving way beneath her. The next thing she was aware of was her head hitting the wooden floor with a loud thud.

She let herself be dragged in Casey's world always maintaining a small shield around her. She didn't need to open her inner eyes to know that darkness was wrapped around her like a thick blanket, isolating her from the world.

Around her, students were starting to move. Knowing what it was about, Rory sent Nina to get Brennan. Meanwhile, Sam got every one out of the classroom. They had prepared themselves to face that eventuality. Still it felt surreal. Their teacher was lying on the ground, paler than a lily, Nina's pullover under her head. She was fighting against Sara and Mellie's killer and yet she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

Sounds of footsteps echoed in the halls getting closer quickly. Brennan was coming. The door opened to reveal the elemental. Without a word he kneeled beside her, knowing what he had to do. He desperately wanted to help her but it wasn't in his hands anymore. He cradled her in his arms, softly rocking her. Nina came in a few seconds after him and locked the door behind her.

"Nina, did you call Adam?"

"What do you think took me so long?"

The noises were slowly fading in the background, leaving her alone trapped in a world she couldn't control. She was getting deeper in his soul than the first time. Doubts were appearing in her mind. What if she had underestimated Casey? It wasn't the moment to have doubts. The killer would only use it against her. Drawing strength from her contact with Brennan, she let him drag her deeper until all she could hear was the beating of her heart.

She felt like Alice going down the hole and not knowing where she would land. Suddenly her fall stopped. She couldn't feel anything around her, except coldness. The brambles still hadn't appeared. Casey was taking his time and it made her shiver. The doubts were still there plaguing her mind. She couldn't let him have the upper hand; it was time to fight. Her eyes opened and she found herself floating in a bubble surrounded by a moving greyish fog.

He was surrounding her, trying to suffocate her. 'He's pure energy, Emma. You can't fight him with another type of energy'. Adam's words still resonated in her ears. There was only one way. She breathed deeply trying to create a glowing sphere in one of her hands. At first it was no bigger than a little pearl but it steadily grew with each feeling, each emotion she put in it. It hovered above her palm, warming her. In response, the fog started to crystallize, creating thousands of small needles. The surface between them was covered with lines cutting at geometric angles like some mineral structure. The glow of her love-filled sphere increased giving the surface surrounding her, a metallic shine.

The needles were growing, quickly getting closer to her shield. Some had already pierced the thin envelope protecting her. Panic was trying to worm its way in her but she pushed it away, encapsulating it deep inside her.

The glowing sphere in her hands expanded further. Its color started to change, some points becoming brighter. The surface began to bend around the brighter spots, enclosing them into smaller spheres. The protective shield had dissolved and some needles were already touching her skin, trying to pierce it. Taking a deep breath she willed the thousands glowing suns resting in her hands apart. They sped in the closed space until each was fixed on one of the needles. They started to grow on them, enclosing them, diffusing a blinding light. Emma watched amazed as each needle reacted differently to the emotions she had enclosed in the spheres. Some were dissolving; others were trying to resist growing smaller spikes; most of them had already vanished. It would soon be over.

When Nina opened the door, Adam rushed in carrying medical equipment. Kneeling beside Emma and Brennan he proceeded to check her vital signs. Her heartbeat was steady and regular. He tried to ask Brennan to let go of her so that he could check for any other injuries but the elemental only glared at him. Adam was ready to argue that it was important when they heard her taking a deep breath. Seconds later her eyes opened only to find Brennan smiling at her. She smiled back briefly before telling them what they had all been waiting for.

"It's over."

Forcing the words out achieved to exhaust her and she fainted. Her task was over.

XXX

Alerted by one of his student, Bruce came in the classroom only to find Adam quietly talking with three other students.

"What happened there? Someone came in my office telling me that Miss Micheals was sick and had fainted."

Adam didn't know how to react. The principal wasn't supposed to know the truth and telling him what had happened would only lead to more confusion.

"I'm Emma's father. She has some blood pressure problems. And she sometimes forgets to take her medicine. She'll be perfectly fine with a few hours of sleep. My son-in-law drove her back home."

Bruce eyed the man suspiciously. Strange things had been happening in his school lately; first the violent death of two of his students, then Patricia's near death during their fieldtrip and now this. Something was going on and this man was a part of the mystery. But until either Emma or Brennan decided to tell him the truth, he could only guess what had happened.

"Fine. Tell her to take care. I'll try to stop to see if she's fine tonight."

XXX

The five friends were standing on the porch later that day. Shalimar, Jesse and Adam's luggages were on the swinging chair waiting to be picked. The moment felt awkward; none of them knowing how to say goodbye. Emma and Brennan's decision had come as a huge surprise for the three other members of mutant X.

"So you're not coming back with us today?"

Emma looked at Jesse with a slight smile, before taking Brennan's hand in hers. They still had 5 weeks before graduation and it would be impossible for Bruce to find two teachers to replace them. Besides, with Casey dead, the place had found back its peacefulness.

"No. Graduation day is in five weeks. Bruce really needs us there."

Adam nodded his approbation. There was no need to be a telepath to realize that they were both happy with their current situation. Besides, it was not as if they desperately needed their help with missions. He took two steps forward and hugged Emma. She was stronger than he had ever thought possible. They no longer needed him. The way they had dealt with the mission was a good proof.

"You take care sweetie and enjoy your time here. Don't traumatize your poor students."

Emma hugged him back and laughed a little at his last sentence.

"That's Brennan's role. And remember to call us when you get back home, ok?"

The three friends smiled at her. Jesse hugged her quickly before shaking Brennan's hand and getting in their car. Soon, it was Shal's turn to hug her. The two looked at each other with a knowing smile. The feral whispered in her ear.

"I'll call tonight, Emma. We have to talk."

XXX

Five weeks had elapsed since their goodbye. But to her it seemed that it was only yesterday. Emma gently freed herself from Brennan's grip to sit on their bed. She hugged her knees and rested her forehead on them. She couldn't get back to sleep. Her eyes travelled on the moon lit bedroom, stopping on each personal touch they had scattered during their time there.

Brennan's books were piled on the floor near the window seat; one was still opened. One of her silk shawl was resting close by with an empty cup of tea. Their clothes had been left in a heap on the floor and it made her smile. Her perfume and jewellery were on her dressing-table. The smell of flowers drifted her way carried by the night breeze. Flowers Brennan had brought her back today without any other purpose than to make her smile. She had never felt more at home anywhere else.

Their bedroom. Their home… theirs… it was overwhelming, tempting to think like that. They had built a home there.

Soon it would be over. They would be back to their old life, to a fight against god knows who or what. Three little days. That was their time left here. She sighed deeply and lied back down close to her love. It was time for them to talk. Gently she brushed her fingertips against his cheek to wake him up. And soon enough his eyes opened.

"What is wrong, Emma?"

"I don't want to go back, Brennan. I'm happy there."

The elemental rested his hand on her hip. His mind was still trapped in the fog of sleep, unable to fully understand what she had said. It took him several seconds to realize what it might imply. His hand travelled from the curve of her hip to her face, caressing her skin. Her face was shinning in the moonlight. 'Such an angel'

"Emma, are you sure this is what you want?"

Doubts seeped in her mind. Maybe she was being selfish. What if he wanted to go back? What if it was not the life he wanted? Could she impose him her choice just because she was in love with him?

"I… If you decide to go back, I'll follow you but…"

One of his fingers touched her lips lightly, interrupting her.

"It's not about me, Emma. It's about you and what you want. I want you to be happy."

The love drifting her way was so strong that it made tears well up in her eyes.

"If you are with me I'll be happy."

She meant her words and for the first time he truly understood the extent of her love for him. She would give up on her world for him.

"Emma, I know you. If you start making compromise, you'll soon hate yourself."

Silence fell on the bedroom. The psionic looked at him knowing that they had made their decision without even voicing it. Maybe now she would be able to sleep more peacefully.

XXX

The lawn of Grant High was swarming with students, teachers and family members. Graduation was over and students were finally on holiday. The police had closed Sara and Mellie's case barely a week ago, giving the little town its peacefulness.

Bruce watched his two youngest teachers talking with Patricia and Rory. They had done an amazing job not only as teachers, but also as members of their community. They seemed to be happy there. It would not be easy to let them go.

"Emma, Brennan"

They both turned slightly upon hearing their boss. Taking the hint, the students left them alone with the promise to drop by later that afternoon. The burly man came their way with a smile.

"Good speech, Bruce."

The older man smiled more brightly.

" Thanks. So you're going back to New York?"

He needed to ask the question. If there was even the slightest chance they might stay, he wanted to know. The smile on Emma's face faltered a little and she looked up at Brennan. It was the moment.

"We need to talk to you, Bruce."

TBC