Amy Green was spending another boring night sat behind the check in desk at The mermaid Motel. 'This has to be the most boring job in the world,' she thought gazing at nothing in particular. However stirred from her sleep like trance as she saw four figures approaching and then opening the front door with a loud creak. She looked at the four people standing in front of her. There were two women and two men, a dark and blonde of each, and they all had to be in their late twenties. However, the woman was slightly taken aback at their appearances.

All four looked tired and worn; the dark haired woman was particularly pale. Their clothes were tattered and torn and they had what looked to be dirt or soot smeared on their faces. Cuts and scrapes were visible on the skin they had showing, and the dark haired man was clutching his arm which appeared to be bleeding. 'God,' the woman thought to herself, 'they look like they've been at war.'

As they made their way to the desk the woman tried not to stare. Once the four had reached the desk the blonde woman spoke,

'Hi. We were wondering if you possibly had a room for us?' she half asked, half pleaded.

'Hang on just a second,' Amy said. 'Ummm, we have a room with two doubles if that's any good?'

'We'll take it.' The blonde said almost instantly, none of having the strength to even contemplate arguing.

Amy reached back and took a single key off of a hook.

'It's room 7. Just out of the main door and across the yard to the right.' She said friendly.

'Thanks,' the blonde said gratefully, as the other three smiled in appreciation.

Amy smiled back and then continued to watch them as they left. 'I wonder what their deal is?' she said to herself. Well, at least that would give her something to think about for the rest of her shift.

The four members of Mutant X approached the door of room 7. Shalimar unlocked the door and turned the handle. The room before them was of average size; it had two queen-sized beds, along with a television and a sofa. It also had a small kitchen and a bathroom in a room off the main one.

Almost immediately after they had entered and shut the door, Lexa hurried forwards and collapsed onto the nearest bed with an exhausted groan. The others quickly followed her example; Brennan and Shalimar collapsed onto the furthest bed and Lexa rolled over to make room for Jesse on hers. They all lay there in silence, each lost in own thoughts, namely those about their current situation. However, the silence was broken by an exclamation from Brennan.

'Man, I'm starving!'

Lexa and Jesse both let out a laugh from their side of the room while Shalimar hit him playfully on his uninjured arm.

'Trust you to be thinking about your stomach at a time like this!' She giggled.

'I can't help it, a man needs to eat!' Brennan replied.

'Well, I think I saw a 24hour store across the lot.' Shalimar said. 'How about Brennan and I go and get some food and other supplies and you two stay and start cleaning yourselves up? She proposed, looking at Lexa and Jesse.

'Sounds like a good plan.' Said Jesse, looking at Lexa who nodded her approval.

'Ok then,' said Brennan heading towards the door and opening it.

'We'll see you in a bit,' Shalimar said, and she closed the door behind her, leaving Jesse and Lexa alone.

'So, you want the first shower,' Lexa asked.

'No, it's ok, ladies first,' Jesse said.

'Thanks,' Lexa smiled weakly at him and headed into the bathroom.

'Hey Lex,' Jesse called after her. Lexa turned back to face him. 'Are you ok?' he asked. 'Well, besides the obvious that is.'

'Yeah,' she said, though not looking him in the eye, 'I'm fine.' And with that she closed the door behind her.

Jesse sighed and dropped down onto the bed. Something was bothering her, he could tell.

Lexa turned the tap on the shower and the water started to pour down. She undressed, wincing in pain at her aching muscles. She looked in the mirror, staring at her reflection. Her long dark hair was matted and although stricken with a mixture of dirt and blood her face was pale, and she had large dark circles forming under her eyes. Her body was covered in scratches and bruises were beginning to form; a result of the collapse of the dominion building and their escape through the forest. Steam was beginning to form on the mirror, blurring her reflection, letting her know that the water was hot enough. She stepped into the shower and pulled back the curtain. She stood there letting the boiling hot water cascade down on her, soothing her aching body. Again, her mind wandered to the words of the Dominion agent, 'Your expiry date is…fast approaching.'

Forcing herself to snap out of it, she ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to remove knots caused by the blood and dirt. She took the bar of soap from the soap tray and began to clean away the traces of the night's battle. Once she was satisfied that she was dirt-free she turned off the shower, grabbed a towel from the rail and stepped out of the shower. She gently dried herself and then wrapped the towel around her body and exited the bathroom.

Jesse had heard the water stop running and sat up, waiting for Lexa to come out. She emerged a few minutes later; she was wrapped in a towel and her long, dark hair lay wet and now slightly wavy down her back. A bit of the colour had returned to her face, and any make-up remaining on her face had been washed away. Catching Jesse staring, Lexa blushed a deep crimson colour. Seeing this, Jesse tore his eyes away and forced himself to look in the other direction. He cleared his throat and then spoke.

'Uh, Shal and Brennan dropped off some clothes for us before the went to get the food stuff.' Jesse said, still staring at the wall. 'Yours are on the bed there.'

'Thanks,' said Lexa. 'No peeking now!'

Jesse smiled. 'Can't promise anything!'

Lexa playfully rolled her eyes at his response and began to change into the clothes that Brennan and Shalimar had left for her. She pulled on the grey sweat pants and dark blue tank top and then turned around.

'Ok, you can stop starring at the wall now. Any longer and you're going to burn a hole in it anyway!'

Jesse smiled at her remark and turned to face her again.

'Not so nice with scruffy clothes scraggly hair and no make-up huh?' Said Lexa, forcing a laugh.

'Actually, I was just thinking the opposite.' Jesse said looking her in the eye. 'You look more beautiful than ever.' He got up off the bed and moved to where she was standing.

'Now you're either a liar or a charmer. Which one is?' Lexa asked trying to hide her embarrassment.

'Neither,' he replied. 'I'm just telling it how it is.'

Lexa smiled, but no sooner than she had it faded and her eyes were filled with sadness.

'Lexa what is it?' Jesse asked her. She could her the concern in his voice.

'Its…Its just,' Lexa once again felt the tears sting her eyes. 'Earlier tonight, back at the Dominion when the council were interrogating me, they…' Lexa stopped, the tears in her eyes threatening to flow.

'Did they hurt you?' Jesse said, suddenly becoming angered.

'No, nothing like that.' Lexa said. 'They…they were talking about…about my expiry date.' She could barely contain the tears.

Jesse looked at the woman in front of him; this wasn't the tough, independent Lexa he knew, the one who always had such a wall around her to stop her feelings from showing through. The Lexa in front of him afraid and vulnerable; her wall was cracking.

'They said that my expiry date was 'fast approaching.' She said, wiping the tears from her eyes only to have more form. 'Jesse, all my life I've been alone, been an outsider. I've never had any place that I've been able to call home.' She said, her voice shaking.

'But then I found you guys, I found Mutant X. I was finally accepted for who I was. I found friends…people to love.' She looked him in the eye at her last sentence. 'And I'm not ready to lose that. I don't want to die.' By this time the tears were flowing freely down her cheeks.

Jesse brought a hand up to Lexa's face and wiped the tears away. He lifted her chin so that she was looking him in the eye.

'Lexa listen to me. I know you're scared, we all are. But, you don't have to face this alone. You've got Shal, you've got Brennan…you've got me. Like it or not you've got me now and I would never, ever let anything bad happen to you. We are going to fix this. We will destroy the Dominion and we will find Adam' He said, stroking her cheek. 'I am going to save you.'

Lexa looked at his and saw the determination in his eyes.

'You're pretty amazing, you know that?' Lexa said.

'Well, I've been told that a couple of times but…' he joked. Lexa hit him playfully on the chest.

'Seriously though Jess,' Lexa said, looking him in the eye. 'Thanks.'

They held each other's gaze, neither looking away. Lexa took hold of the front of Jesse's shirt and he stepped forwards, closing the gap between them. Noses touching, Jesse could felt his heart race, and Lexa the same. Not able to resist any longer, Jesse leaned in the last little bit and brushed her lips with his. Feeling his lips on hers sent a rush coursing through Lexa's body. She kissed him back gently at first, until she could no longer bear it. The wall she had built around her all these years finally crumbled and a year's worth of pent up tension broke loose. Lexa pushed Jesse against the wall and she kissed him furiously; Jesse was only too willing to reciprocate. However, they had been so caught up in each other that they had failed to notice Shalimar and Brennan enter the room. Shalimar giggled to herself as Brennan cleared his throat loudly. Jesse and Lexa broke apart.

'Shal, Brennan.' Jesse said breathlessly while Lexa looked down at the floor, he face turning the colour of a beetroot. 'How long have you been standing there?' Jesse asked, also slightly embarrassed.

'Not too long.' Said Brennan clearly amused. 'We've been standing outside for ages. Shal insisted that you two needed to 'sort things out.' Shalimar punched Brennan on the arm for telling on her.

'Thanks Bren.' She said. 'Although, judging from what we walked in on it clearly worked!' She and Brennan started laughing again.

An hour later, they had all showered and changed into their clean clothes. They were now gathered around the small table finishing off their dinner of macaroni and cheese.

'So down to business,' Shalimar said. 'What are we going to do now?'

'Yeah, we can't hide out here forever.' Said Brennan.

'Well, before we can even think about heading back into the Dominion we need to set up some kind of permanent base. We need transport, weapons, gear, computers most of all.' Said Jesse.

'And where exactly are we going to get all of that.' Sighed Shalimar.

'Oh, I think I know somewhere,' Lexa smiled.