Disclaimer: I still don't own mutant x but if I did Brennan and Jesse would both have had their shirts off a lot more. Please don't sue me.

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Moving On

They were all in the kitchen making dinner together. Adam was chopping carrots, Jesse was stirring something and Brennan and Emma were setting out plates and everything. But there was one person missing.

Jesse walked down to Shalimar's room and knocked on the door. There was no answer but that wasn't too unusual. Shalimar's cat DNA meant that you could march an entire brass band through her room while she was asleep and she wouldn't even notice.

He pushed to door open expecting to see her curled up on her bed asleep but she wasn't there. Then he noticed the empty drawers, the letter on her pillow and the silver locket and ring on the bedside table.

"Oh Shal, why didn't you tell me?" he said to the air around him.

He picked up the things the feral had left and walked back to the kitchen. He wanted to hit Brennan. This was all his fault.

"Shalimar's gone" he said as he put the necklace and ring in front of them and handed the letter to Adam.

"This is all my fault" Emma said with her voice full of self loathing.

"No. None of this is you're fault" Brennan placed his hands on his girlfriends shoulders.

Adam couldn't believe it as he looked at the letter in his hands. Her hand writing was so small and neat. He knew she'd been upset about Brennan and Emma but he never thought she would leave. He should have talked to her, made sure she was ok. Maybe he could have convinced her to stay.

He didn't feel much like dinner anymore. He walked down to the lab so he could be on his own to read Shalimar's letter. He turned the little white envelope over in his hands and opened it. He could see some of the words were smudged. She must have been crying as she wrote it.

Dear Adam

I'm so sorry. I didn't want it to end up like this but I just can't be here anymore.

I thought I would be ok.

I tried so hard to make it ok but I can't do it anymore.

I love him so much its tearing my heart in two.

I can't stay and watch him be happy with someone else.

I can't watch him love someone else.

I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life.

I don't know where I'm going yet. I don't know if I'll ever be back.

I'll miss you.

Tell Emma it not her fault. She's my sister and she will always be my sister.

Tell Jesse I love him and I'll call him as soon as I get settled.

I'll call you in a couple of days so you don't need to worry too much but you probable will anyway. I love you. There's nothing you could've said to make me stay.

Tell Brennan I said good bye.

Shalimar

"Oh Shal. How did things get into such a mess?" he said wiping tears from his eyes.

Jesse walked through the lab door. His eyes were red like he'd been crying. Adam knew Shalimar wouldn't mind if he showed Jesse the letter. The young molecular's eyes filled with tears as he read the letter.

Emma was lying on her bed, tears rolling silently down her face. She didn't notice Brennan watching her until he spoke.

"Em, we knew this wasn't going to be easy" he sat down beside her and put a hand on her leg.

"I didn't think it would be this hard" she sobbed

"She's my best friend Bren, my sister and we broke her heart. How could we do that to her?"

"We haven't done any thing wrong. Shal and I had already broken up before we got together. It's not our fault if she couldn't handle it."

"How can you be so insensitive Brennan?" she asked as she got up and walked out of the door.

He chased after her. He hadn't meant it to come out like that. He just didn't see any thing wrong in what they were doing. He had loved Shalimar. Or at least he thought he had loved her. What he had with Emma was so different.

With Shal it had like a magnetic pull. He had been drawn to her and he couldn't escape it. It had been so intense at first. But after a while it started to wear off. With Emma he felt his knees go weak every time she spoke to him. He wanted to take care of her and protect her. He knew he loved her and she loved him.

He finally caught up with her by the dojo.

"I'm sorry. I didn't meant it." He wrapped his arms around her like a comfortable jumper.

"I know. I just hope she's ok."

Shalimar Fox didn't really know why she was about to do this. She just knew it was the right time to do it as she walked into the man's office.

"Hi dad. Long time no see."