I'd like to extend my thanks to everyone for the reviews. I'm kinda like a junkie with them. So please feed my need.
I need to send a big thanks to Stephanie who has helped me with this since I first came up with the idea and kept me from giving up along the way. Second to Sara who has helped me fix so many of my grammatical mistakes. It just goes to show that good beta's can make a good story even better!
4 Working it Out 4
Shalimar awoke early in the morning as the grey of night was fading into the pink and gold of dawn. Putting on a pair of yoga pants she climbed to the loft and stretched then practiced some yoga and meditation techniques to center herself. Her dreams had been filled with pain. She watched as Brennan and Jesse were alternately tortured for information, and then watching as Adam was stuck in a stasis pod while Eckhard planned to retrieve Adam's brain for observation.
All and all she was more then happy to wake up early and leave the remnants of those dreams (if that is what you should call them) on her pillow. She jumped up and grabbed a bar on the ceiling and wrapped her knees around it doing upside down crunches; then vaulted to the floor when she heard a set of footsteps climbing the stairs. Angel walked up the stairs; Shalimar instantly noticed the worried frown that marred her pretty features.
"What's wrong?" Shalimar asked in a voice just above a whisper.
"I was going to ask you the same thing." Angel said as she began to stretch. "You have been closing yourself off for days, and I'm worried about you."
"I'm just trying to figure some stuff out." Shalimar said evasively.
They both stretched and practiced some moves for long moments without speaking. Slowly they worked into a sparring session; it quickly became harder and stronger. They began to throw punches and practice evasive maneuvers. The spar looked almost like a choreographed duet with each participant anticipating the others next move. After about an hour Angel called it quits.
"Shal, I'm not sure what your issues are, but you need to work them out or talk to someone soon. You are letting whatever it is eat you up so badly that you are losing yourself." Angel said with feeling as she gave Shalimar a hug and felt her cling for a moment. "Beau should be home today." Angel said with a smile in her voice, Shalimar had to smile for a moment.
Angel and Beau had been through so much together that they were almost an inseparable item now. Beau had only been gone since yesterday to see about a new place for them to reside. They had been at the warehouse for three weeks now, and needed to move again before the Dominion was able to find them. Padding softly back to her room, Shalimar grabbed her clothes for the day, and went in to take a shower.
Here with the water to drown the tears, she let herself cry. She hadn't been able to open up to anyone lately, and it bothered her. Jesse had been her confidant for a long time. The two of them had been at Sanctuary together for several years and had built a great bond. Then when she became closer to Brennan he was more often then not the one she found herself confiding in. A long time later she finally emerged from the shower.
She went to the kitchen/living area and found Lexa pounding away on a keyboard, frustration marring her pretty features. Walking to the coffee pot she grabbed a cup and filled it then poured herself a bowl of cereal and sat down by Lexa. She watched as Lexa keyed in locations and attempted another search.
"Any luck?" Shalimar queried, she could feel Lexa was still a little mad about yesterday.
"No. I can get into all of the safe house info, and check on most of the new mutants, but I can't find out a damn thing about what else is going on in the underground!" Lexa got up from the keyboard and walked to the countertop to get another cup of coffee.
Upon Lexa's return Shalimar grabbed her cup and set it on the table and pulled Lexa into a hug. She felt Lexa hug her back and smiled softly. She had begun to care about Lexa a lot, and Lexa's concern for Jesse had only increased the bond.
"I'm sorry about yesterday, Lex." Shalimar said trying to ease the tension.
"Shal, it's just so tough, I'm not a team person, I have never been one, and I just started to feel like I belong to something, then half our team is gone." Pulling away abruptly she grabbed her coffee and took a large drink, "I hate this feeling, because I've always been a loner. You and the guys changed that for me. Now I'm stuck with these sucky conflicted feelings!" She huffed as she plopped onto the stool.
Shalimar was only able to smile, knowing all to well the feelings of being a loner, but then the strange desire to be part of a pack. To then be accepted and wanted into the group was a strange feeling when you're not used to it.
Angel walked out of her bedroom, grabbed a cup of coffee and joined them. The three girls sat and talked for a while about the sales that were going on at the local stores. Lexa and Shal were in desperate need of new wardrobes. Both of theirs had been destroyed, and they had obtained a few others, but they were beginning to show the wear.
"Why don't you go online and find what you like and I'll go pick it up for you?" Angel offered.
"That's good, but defeats the purpose of going shopping." Shalimar said with a rueful smile.
"I know Shal, but we are running like to fugitives for now, and we can't afford to be seen in public places like that." Lexa said, "Besides we can still have fun shopping online, and my feet won't get sore from the 10 trips around the mall!"
The door clicked and a buzzing sound reverberated through the room. All three women were immediately on guard.
"Hello?" Beau's accented voice carried down the hall.
"Beau!" Angel shrieked and took off running almost tackling him as he walked into the room.
"Hey, Lex, I think Beau's back." Shalimar noted wryly
"Why Shal, I don't know what gave you that idea." Lexa smirked as Beau approached the table where they had been congregated.
"Welcome back big guy," Shalimar said as she gave him a hug, "bring us anything good?"
"Well the safe house is clear and ready. We can go tonight after sunset if you can be ready. It isn't more then an hours drive." Beau said looking proud of himself.
The girls began to take pity on Beau after the first 2 weeks and let him go on more of the location scouting missions, because it didn't seem fair to keep him locked up in a room full of hormones and estrogen.
The four talked animatedly for the next hour. Beau told them that the new safe house was located out by a secluded section of beach. Shalimar looked at Lexa and they both smirked with the idea of being able to get a bit of a tan while they were there. Beau had stocked the facility with food and water. He informed them that while the computers while slightly older were still in good shape, and in working order. Lexa decided she would have to do a further inspection once they arrived; Beau was the first to admit his lack of computer skills.
Shalimar excused herself with the pretense of beginning to pack her stuff and get ready to leave. She went in her room, but couldn't decide where to start. Procrastination was always a great motivator, so she grabbed Brennan's journal and flopped onto her stomach on the bed and began reading the next entry.
February 4, 2002
It was great to see Maddie again, even though she caused way to much trouble. Adam has her secure in the underground with a new identity, and hopefully she takes advantage of her new life. Sometimes it seems like that is a lot of what we do here, offer people second chances, or in my case fifth or tenth. The past month seems like we have been doing a lot of just that; it feels like I'm working for witness relocation. Angel and Beau are doing well or so Shal tells me, and Danielle and Catherine are safely out on the coast.
What would I be as a split personality? Would it be a wild side and a quiet side or something different? Jesse and Shal asked the same things to Adam, and he told us let's hope we never have to find out in Shalimar's case. She is wild now; imagine having a feral with total animal instincts. Well I have to admit the 2 Emma's, while hot, and reminded me of those twins I met a few years back... Ok, mind out of gutter now. Emma would kill me if she knew about those thoughts, either that or do some funky mind thingy and make me regret it even worse then if she kicked my ass.
Last night at the club was interesting. We have gone out together as a group on a few occasions, but this time was different. None of us went looking for anything other then each others company. I got a few numbers, and I think Emma and Shal had to take a shower to wash some of the drool off of them, but we came and left together. Jesse and I took turns dancing with the girls, and then we just watched them heat up the floor all by themselves. Those two are too hot for their own good sometimes.
I have to finally admit to myself that a life of crime wasn't as good as what I got now. When I first came to Mutant X, it was just another adventure, but now it has really become a home for me. I guess I can't believe I would find bigger and better thrills, but I have. Oh God, what did I do now? Emma's screaming my name, better go find out what's going on…
Shalimar listened to the sounds outside her room. Beau and Angel were in the other room talking about stuff and Lexa was still pounding on the keyboard. They were a makeshift family again, but they weren't the same. Things wouldn't be the same until they got Jesse and Brennan back, and she was willing to die trying.