New Note: I just recently got around to fixing some of my mistakes and then FFN decides they are going to make it difficult for me to upload anything. AAAARRRRRGGGGGG!

So I have made some corrections and changes to this chapter, thanks so much to Sara, Stephanie and Rachel. Where would I be without you guys?

Old Author's note:

Okay... I really need to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed in the past few days. Welcome all the newcomers and can I say how excited I am to be on people's favorite and alert lists! WOW! My head's all big :D

Kai0707 & Tiana-P - Thanks so much for all the support throughout. You both were the first to review and keep me wanting to post here. Thanks a million you guys.

Griffbear - Thanks, welcome and I'm sorry, but it was like I said, there really hasn't been a good cliffie... I'm trying to answer those questions for you. It's up to my muse how long this is going to be, and she still hasn't told me what she wants to do for the ending!

LizzieH1313 - Thanks, welcome and yes I am! Thanks for commenting on the Lexa scene. I did that because I really needed a way to hit home how much Lexa has really changed since she started with the team. She can still be the same bad-ass as ever as you see by a lot of her comments and actions, but she has finally found a home and a family. It changes a person so much.

Slshadowfox - I'm trying not to kill her. To be totally honest in my original draft everyone got out with just some bumps and bruises. I think Beau still had the gunshot. However when I looked at my finished work I scared myself - 'Hey, I don't remember shooting Shal!'

yegbb 10 - Thank you and welcome. I hope you keep reading!

Stormchilde - I lost my copy of the book, but I damn near had the entire thing memorized. So I bought a huge book of Robert Frost poetry as a consellation prize. :D I have really tried to make this a story that includes everyone in some way. I guess my ramblings are close to thoughts Brennan would have. I work around enough guys I kinda used some of them to help me out. I love reviews when and however! I was originally going to end on chapter 20, but I really don't think that's going to happen!

Just a warning. I am now caught up with the story I have so far. It will take me a little while to get chapter 19 out. I have started it, and I'm trying to make sure it flows right. I have also been working inhuman hours so I have to wait until I have a chance to collect my thoughts and type. I would love to be able to spend more time writing, but I have to pay the bills, or no electric or computer :(

I'd like to thank Nikka Costa for the Chapter title. A very good song by this artist.

Okay Medical Terminology 101 -

Supine: means on ones back.

Blood Typing is done for transfusions: A, B, O. or AB. O is considered a universal donor and AB is considered a universal recipient.

I pulled out my anatomy books to make sure that what I have written is possible. I have seen it, so I know it happens. I tried to keep the gore down to a minimum.

Now that I have just wrote this huge AN that has you all going 'Would you just get to the story already!' ... Here ya go!

18... Push and Pull... 18

Just then Mira came out of the kitchen followed by Ian with unreadable expressions on their faces, Angel, Beau and Brennan stopped and looked up.

The doctor had closed up Shalimar and felt fairly confident in her work. Shalimar had been shot a little below her lung and had lacerated her spleen. She had been able to repair the damage, but Shalimar had lost a dangerous amount of blood, and not having any on hand she had only been able to give her IV fluids to keep her pressure up. It was still dangerously low. She had Shalimar's blood type and hoped that one of her teammates would be of the same type and willing to donate to save her. Thankfully she had brought half of her lab with her and what she didn't have Ian had in his supply. Ian had assured her that this group would do anything for one another. With a deep breath she looked at him and proceeded through the kitchen door.

When the two emerged from the door, Brennan's heart caught in his throat. Angel grabbed Beau's hand and clung tightly as they waited for the doctor to speak. The tension was thick and almost palpable in the room as Mira and Ian approached the three seated on the couches.

Brennan jumped to his feet, "How is she? What's going on?" he said. His tone was demanding, but his eyes were almost pleading for everything to be okay.

Mira looked up at him and took a deep breath, "She needs a transfusion. She lost a lot of blood, and her pressure is dangerously low."

She was met by stunned expressions but before she could continue Ian cut her off. "We have the kit to do the testing for blood types here. Hopefully one of you will match her blood type, and we can do the transfusion right away." Ian glanced at Mira and squeezed her hand. She let out a sigh of relief that he had come to her aid right then. She was exhausted from the surgery and worried that she needed to do this for Shalimar as quickly as possible.

"Let's get to it then," Brennan said rolling up his sleeve.

"The test is fairly simple. I just need a drop of blood and I can type you so you don't need to do that," she motioned to his rolled sleeve, "But we do need to do this quickly." Mira spun on heel and went back into the lab and grabbed her typing kit to get started and within five minutes they had samples from Angel, Beau, and Brennan.

Mira looked to Ian with a frown marring her features. "They aren't matches," she said disheartened.

A scowl masked Brennan's face, and a mix of pain and anger seemed to radiate off of him in waves.

"Let me get Lexa and Jesse." Angel said, jumping to her feet and sprinting up to the room they were staying in. Angel all but burst through the door causing Lexa to look up from where she was seated by a sleeping Jesse, who hadn't even budged at the door banging open.

"What the…? Angel what's wrong?" Lexa's annoyance quickly morphed into concern seeing the look on the blond's face. "What happened? Is it, Shal?"

"She needs blood… like now." Angel started, trying to cram as much info into as few words as possible. "C'mon," she said, just grabbing Lexa's hand and dragging her from the room.

Lexa was about to fight when it hit her, what had been said, and ran down the steps to follow Angel. She was greeted by Brennan and Beau with very anxious expressions on their faces. Mira and Ian stood off to the side wearing looks of hope. Lexa would have smiled at the scene before her in another time and another place, but not now.

"Lexa, give me your finger." Ian said grabbing her hand as she walked toward the waiting group. "We have to hurry. Shal's pressure isn't very stable and we have to get her more blood soon." He deftly pricked Lexa's finger, ignoring her flinch and murmured 'ow' and swabbed off the blood onto a test strip. Impatience crossed his features at the minute the results took to make themselves known. Ian looked up at Mira as the results were issued and a small smile crossed both faces.

"You're a universal donor," Mira said with elation in her eyes as she looked at the results handed to her.

"Yeah, you could have just asked before you stabbed me." Lexa's attitude showed through for a moment and then buried itself once again as she started walking toward the lab, "Let's get this over with. Can someone sit with Jesse while I'm gone?" she asked realizing that she had left him alone upstairs and wouldn't be back as quickly as she had thought initially.

Brennan was almost at her side and ready to plow through the lab door. She knew that he needed to be with Shalimar, and she looked back to Angel and Beau who glanced between each other before Beau ascended the stairs.

In the lab, Shalimar lay supine on the table. She had been stripped down so that Mira could work on her, and now was covered in a paper gown that covered her from neck to knee leaving only her head, arms and legs exposed. Lexa took note that Shalimar was breathing softly, eyelids flickering, and looked so pale. Lexa observed Brennan who stood in the doorway. His initial run to be at Shalimar's side had been halted by the scene in front of him. Lexa could almost hear him cursing himself for her injuries.

"Lexa, you can lie down over here on the counter," Mira said, breaking through Lexa's thoughts. "We need to get this done soon." The doctor had taken full authority in her voice as she prepared her instruments to do the transfusion.

Once Lexa got comfortable, she looked over and saw Brennan's battered face staring down at Shalimar as he slowly reached for her limp hand. She felt tears well up at his actions. She tried not to invade on this moment but couldn't turn her eyes away. He had Shalimar's hand in his own as he stroked it and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss, then leaned down toward her head and whispered words so softly that they were inaudible to everyone else in the room. A sharp stab in Lexa's arm brought her back to the situation at hand as her eyes met Mira's and the doctor smiled saying that this wouldn't take long.

It was late at night when the transfusion was over, and Ian helped Lexa back into the living room to lie on the couch as Angel grabbed her some juice and fruit from the kitchen. As soon as her strength returned, Lexa opted to go back with Jesse and try and catch some much needed rest there.

Brennan sat by Shalimar as Mira reassessed her vitals and wounds. Shalimar's color was a little better but she still wasn't awake. He watched Mira with a wary but curious eye. This doctor he knew nothing about was trying her best to save Shalimar. Thank you didn't seem like enough. He had said it several times but wasn't sure that he voiced his gratefulness properly. His mind felt like it was in a stupor or haze. The last time he'd slept was well over twenty four hours ago. Between that and the general fatigue he began to feel off.

Mira glanced over at Brennan and gave him a look that was too serious to be considered a good sign. "Her pressure is up, which is good, but she is far from out of the woods yet. The sedation should have worn off by now, but she did take a few hard blows to the head from what Angel has told me. This will be a watch and wait game for now. You should go and get changed. Take a shower and get cleaned up. I'll sit with her until you get back."

Brennan looked up numbly and tried to focus on what Mira had said to him. For a moment he wanted to argue, but realized that a shower and some clean clothes would help to shake off the daze he was feeling. He nodded and walked from the room. Ian pointed him to the guest bathroom, and Angel gave him a change of clothes.

Under the pounding of the hot water, Brennan finally felt his emotions crack. He had never been big on crying… it didn't solve anything so he had never understood the point. Now he was glad to have the hot spray of water sluicing down over him to cover the tears that ran from his eyes. He had really begun to give up any hope that he and Jesse would be found. Then when they were, he didn't get the joyful reunion that he had visions of. It had turned into a warped nightmare where Shalimar was fighting for her life. Somehow he never imagined that she would be on that table. Jesse… maybe. Lexa… no so much. Him… almost definitely. Yet fate had dealt them another hard to play hand. The tears continued to cascade down his face as he tried to wash himself, minding the wounds and sore spots along his limbs and torso.

He was brought back to a shower that he and Shalimar had shared before he was captured. He had been working on one of the junked cars they had found, trying to get it running, and then worked out at the makeshift gym they'd created at the safe-house. Shalimar looked at him as he finished his workout and wouldn't even come within eight feet of him stating he stunk too badly. She had snuck in the bathroom and was grabbing him from behind before he knew she was even in the same room with him. He had almost slipped and fallen, but joy at who had surprised him wiped away any anger he'd almost immediately felt. They had teased each other to a fevered pitch, and he'd almost slipped again in the shower as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her back into the steam heated tiles.

The memory swamped him, and he forced himself to focus before dwelling on it too much. He finally turned off the shower and dried himself methodically. It felt so good to be clean that he allowed himself to bask in the moment before turning toward the bathroom mirror and wiped it free of the steam. He stared at the mirror for a long moment trying to recognize the person reflected back. His face was covered in dark wiry hair and looked almost gaunt. He really did need to eat something soon, he realized. He sighed and took a razor from the cabinet and began to clean his face of the hair. When he was finally finished, he put on the clothes that Angel had given him and made his way back to the lab. He stopped in the kitchen to grab a sandwich that Ian had made earlier and a bottle of water, taking it to the lab to eat while sitting with Shalimar.

Mira looked up through tired eyes and saw Brennan walking back in. "I'm not sure how you are still on your feet, but if you're okay, I'm going to go get some rest. If you need me for anything or she changes in any way, come and get me." Mira's voice belayed the exhaustion she felt.

"Okay," Brennan said as he sat in the chair next to Shalimar's head and looked up to Mira who was looking at him expectantly, "When will she come out of this?"

"I don't know but I'll do some more tests in the morning. There is really nothing else we can do for now. Will you be alright?"

"Yeah. I'll get you if anything changes," Brennan said with a nod as he watched Mira walk out the door and turned his head back to Shalimar and stroked her hair. "Shal, if you can hear me…please wake up…I…I…Damn it! I promise to tell you if you just open your eyes and look at me." When nothing happened, he picked up his sandwich and bit into it angrily. When that was done, he sat next to her speaking occasionally until his head joined hers on the pillow and he fell into an uneasy sleep.

Jesse felt like he was fighting through a haze to wake up. His mouth tasted like someone had shoved cotton balls in it and his eyes were arguing against logic of opening. So he allowed himself to be content for a moment with the warmth and softness that surrounded him, and the pleasant smell of Lexa's perfume permeating his senses.

When that thought actually filtered through his eyes shot open and he looked to his left where he felt a depression in the bed next to him. He blinked once and then one more time to see if this was real. The room wasn't completely bright, but by the look of the sky it was just before dawn, and that was all the light he needed to see Lexa's eyes staring into his.

"Hey, you decided to wake up." Her voice was calm and sounded happy. She was laying on her right side next to him with her hand clasped around his. She shared none of the sleepy haze that he knew had to be present on his face. "Jess, you ok?" she asked almost tentatively.

He did finally notice an exhausted look to her features and wondered if she had slept at all. Jesse opened his mouth to answer and realized that was a feat more challenging then he remembered. He closed his mouth and swallowed hard and then tried again "Lex?" His voice was hoarse and scratchy, but he needed to know this wasn't a dream or a psionic induced nightmare. "Are you real?"

Lexa laughed. It felt good. She had been holding her breath and feeling so stressed all day that she couldn't help it. As the laughter died from her voice, she finally answered. "Yes, Jesse. I'm here and so are you. You're safe now." She continued to smile, finally seeing clarity and emotion flicker through his eyes, as opposed to the glassy and muddled appearance they'd had just a few short hours ago. Lexa reached over to the end table and grabbed a glass of water, handing it to Jesse watching him drain the glass and sighing in the minor relief of his parched throat. "What do you remember?"

Jesse racked his brain trying to remember what had happened and how he had gotten lucky enough to wind up in a soft bed with an amazing woman. Things slowly started to piece themselves together after a moment. "I was with the psionic… I remember seeing Shal… and Angel?"

"That's right."

"I saw Shalimar get hit hard by a cough big guy… She beat him, though? She and Angel released me?"

"That's the short version. Are you okay? Do you need anything else? I can get you some food." Lexa had wanted to tell him about Shalimar, but suddenly felt that she didn't want to destroy the peace that had overcome Jesse's features.

"No. I'm good for right now." Jesse sunk his head back on the pillows and thought about his jumbled memories. The psionic had messed him up even more then he wanted to admit, but he was determined to make some sense of what he remembered. As the visions cascaded past his closed eyes he remembered Lexa trying to cut an opening in a metal gate that he was too weak to phase them through. He had looked up when he heard Brennan scream Shalimar's name as she fell to the floor. His eyes snapped open and he jerked his head to Lexa's. "What happened to Shal and Bren?"

Okay, see I was nice. No real cliff-hanger this time! Thanks so much for reading. Let me know what you think, and please be patient I promise to get the next chapter up asap!