48Okay, so I was kicking this idea around for a while and I started the first few chapters. They are kinda short so far, so please forgive me.
The premise of this story is that: What if Shalimar left with Keith in A Nomal Life. What would happen after the finale?
That being said, this is initially a Shalimar/Keith pairing, but there are hints to Shal/Bren and with hope it will end that way, so long my muse is feeling shippy! There will probably be some Jesse/Lexa down the road too. I'm not quite sure how this will work out, but I promise that I will make the ride as exciting and enjoyable as possible.
Thanks so much to Stephanie. My awesome beta!
Chapter 1 - Lost and Missing
You came back…
The words echoed hollowly through her as she sat on the top of her new building. The wind blew her long blond hair around her face. Her feral senses kicked in, and she could smell the food from the Italian restaurant down the street. The aromas were enticing, but not the reason that she had climbed her perch to look over the city. Tonight she just needed some time alone to think.
Shalimar had been with Keith for over four months now. They were living a happy life under the radar. They were both working on projects for the Underground. Keith worked mostly for Adam, doing various genetic experiments. Every now and then he picked up a side job for the local lab, but he was too well known to be very public in his work. She had found herself a job teaching self-defense, and the Underground kept her busy the rest of the time. Life was busy enough that most of the time she didn't dwell on her old life. Sometimes she didn't regret leaving.
Then there were days like today.
For some reason she had a horrible feeling that something was wrong. Adam had called a week ago and said that he was going back to Sanctuary. Shalimar had almost lost her mind in worry, she just knew that something was wrong. Adam had been trying too hard to stay out of the Dominion's way this past year to go back to Sanctuary for any reason but something important. He'd refused her offer to return with him and help. He wanted her to stay away from what was going on and keep Keith safe. That was the last she had heard from him. The feeling that something had happened to her family was scaring her. Keith tried to understand and be supportive, but he didn't have enough experience with a frightened and territorial feral to know how to handle her. So he withdrew in hopes that she would come to him when she was ready.
That's why she was up here allowing Brennan's words to echo in her mind. He had sounded so genuine and happy that she returned. She missed him horribly. She missed everyone horribly, but for some reason Brennan was in her thoughts the most often.
Her departure from Sanctuary was quiet and in the middle of the night. It seemed almost poetic at the time, an escape into the darkness. She left separate notes for everyone telling them not to worry and not to look for her. It was tough to write the notes and think of how each would feel when they read them. Jesse's reactions to her being gone would probably be the worst she had surmised. When he came to Sanctuary, she was all that there was to talk to aside from Adam. They had five long years with just the two of them. There were various mutants that came and went for one reason or another, but they'd always had each other to lean on.
A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered standing in Brennan's doorway for a long time, watching him sleep. He had been one of the hardest to say goodbye to. The feelings that she had for him had never been able to culminate into much more then a close friendship. It was probably better that nothing ever did happen, but nights like tonight her mind wandered to the repressed feelings. What would have happened if she had kissed him or allowed him to get closer.
She shook her head and cleared her thoughts. That was a dangerous path to venture down. It was the path not taken and that had been her decision. Now she had to live with her choices. Looking at the sky, she realized that darkness had fallen and she had dinner plans with Keith tonight. The stars winked down at her, and she took a deep breath before standing and making her way down to their apartment.
She found Keith was resting on the sofa when she walked in the door with his head reclined back and a look of exhaustion covering his face. Shalimar was instantly worried; Keith rarely had that weighted look on his face and when he did it was because something big was wrong. She stood in the doorway to the living room watching him for a moment and wondered if he knew she was there.
"I know you're watching me," his voice came out slightly gravely.
It sent a small shiver through her. Their attraction was not an all encompassing passion, but there was definitely a spark.
Shalimar sat, pulling her legs underneath her, at Keith's side. She ran a hand softly over his face and was gratified at the smile that graced his lips. "Do you want to talk about it?"
His eyes opened and she read the weariness and another expression, fear maybe, before he spoke. "Shalimar, I'm not sure how to say this, but I feel you really need to know what is going on."
If Shalimar had any indication that things were going to get this serious so fast she might have put it off. She shook her head and bit back the clenching fear that seemed to be the newest resident in her stomach. "What's wrong?" her voice was almost a whisper.
Keith's eyes met hers and he grabbed her hand before uttering out his words. "The Underground seems to think that something major has happened to Adam and Mutant X."
Shalimar's eyes went wide, and felt an almost physical pain stretch through her, an icy hand clawed at her heart. She tried to grasp at something, tried to hold onto her shreds of control before they slipped through her fingers like a pool of water. "No, I mean, Adam was supposed to call me if he needed me. There can't be anything wrong." Her eyes met Keith's and she knew that the pleading almost begging look was there, but she needed someone to reassure her that things were okay.
Keith plowed on, "There's a rumor that Sanctuary was destroyed. No one has seen or heard from Adam or the Mutant X team in almost three days. I'm sorry, Shalimar. I just found out today." Keith lifted his hand and tried to touch the feral.
Shalimar leapt off the sofa when she felt his hand brush her shoulder. She glanced at him briefly before pacing around the small living room. "I'm sorry," she apologized, but wasn't quite sure what for. "They can't be gone." Shalimar stopped pacing directly in front of Keith. "We need to go to Sanctuary."
Keith stood up in front of her. "No, Shalimar. Adam said that you need to stay. You are safe here from whatever is going on."
"You don't understand, Keith!" Shalimar almost yelled, "That is my family out there. I can't let whoever was hunting Adam catch them."
Keith took a deep breath before responding. "Shalimar, we don't know what is going on yet, or even where anyone is. Give me a few days to find out what is going on before you go looking for them."
Shalimar's face dropped and she felt her eyes moisten. "I have to do something if they are caught."
"We will, Shalimar." He said pulling her into a tight hug. She slowly wound her arms around him and held him tight, trying to quell her fears and doubts.
The air was cool and the stars were bright as Brennan looked up in the sky. His eyes were always instantly drawn to Leo constellation. It was the zodiac lion. The feral sign that reminded him of the one that he lost.
Jesse shifted on the mat by the embers of the campfire causing Brennan to look back and watch the other two sleep. The budding connection that was there had seemed to fizzle out in the past few months. They now slept within a few feet of each other, but far enough to make Brennan regret for them what could have been.
The campground about thirty miles south of Sanctuary had been a stroke of genius on Lexa's part. They had enough money for a few sleeping bags and a big tent. They bought enough groceries to last them a few weeks, if they stretched them out. The weather was warm, and they weren't far from the shower house. It was exposed, but rugged with no real way to track them. They had paid for everything in cash and stayed away from anywhere that someone might be looking for them.
Brennan rubbed his thumb unconsciously on his ring finger and felt the bare skin that was there. Just another reminder that his world had changed once again. Three years ago he would have shrugged it off and headed out on his own without a second thought about anyone else. He'd almost left when Shalimar abandoned them. He had his chance with Riley, but for some reason the attraction to Riley wasn't what he wanted. His heart felt dead. Mutant X seemed to be the only motivation he had for a while. Now even that was gone.
He reclined back on his mat and stared up at the stars as the feral constellation winked down at him, and fell into a troubled sleep.
Okay, that little button on the left, could you be kind and push it? I'd really like to know if I should continue this story or not.