"Adam? God, Adam, I'm so sorry."

Keeping his concentration on the microscope to finish his notes, Adam didn't at first respond. When he was done, he straightened and rubbed his eyes before looking at Emma. She looked about ready to cry and he sighed, saying, "It's not your fault, Emma."

She countered miserably, "If I hadn't been such a know-it-all, if I hadn't sent you to him then this wouldn't have happened."

Half-smiling, Adam got to his feet and crossed to her, gripping her shoulder lightly. "From one know-it-all to another, it was bound to happen sooner or later. It's probably just as well that the air was cleared."

"But..."

Adam shook his head sharply. "Please, Emma, just drop it? I'd rather move forward than dwell on what can't be changed."

"He does love you," Emma whispered before turning and leaving the lab.

Gritting his teeth, Adam returned to his work.

* * * *

"Watcha reading?" Blair asked, sitting beside Brennan with a thump.

Brennan held up the cover for him to see.

"Ouch. That's pretty heavy stuff."

With a shrug, Brennan answered, "Suits."

Blair nodded. "I bet. How're you doing?"

Snorting, Brennan asked, "Why're you asking me? I'm the bad guy."

"No, Brennan, you're not," Blair stated, leaning against the wall. "It's a crappy situation all around. You can't help how you feel."

"But I want to, that's the kicker."

Blair looked up at the sky, visible through the garden ceiling. "Sometimes...sometimes what we want isn't what we need. You should ask yourself what you need. Forget about Adam and forget about the team. What does Brennan need to make himself a whole person again? Once you figure that out, the rest will fall into place."

Recognizing that voice of experience, Brennan questioned, "Have you ever...did you have to do that?"

"Yeah," Blair answered heavily. "I've had some pretty bad experiences in my life. So has Jim, for that matter. I know what you're going through, man, and it's going to take some serious personal work to get past it."

"But you and Ellison, you're together now, right?"

Blair smiled and nodded. "Yeah. We haven't actually gotten to the physical yet with everything that's happened in the last couple of days, but that doesn't matter. It really doesn't, Brennan. It's great, don't get me wrong, but if Jim were suddenly disabled, or if I was, and we couldn't do anything like that, we'd still be together. People put too much importance on the act. They forget that it's called making love for a reason."

Brennan nodded slowly, thinking the words over before asking, "What if I can't?"

"Then you can't," Blair answered simply. "You move on, Adam moves on, and hopefully you stay friends. And if that's not possible...then you find a way to at least work together."

"I guess."

Blair smiled faintly and offered, "I'm around if you need to talk."

"Thanks," Brennan said.

With a nod, Blair got to his feet and left the garden.

Thinking about what Blair had just said, Brennan wondered what exactly it was that he did need to be himself again. Because he didn't feel like himself anymore.

* * * *

This is fun, Shalimar thought gleefully, creeping around the side of the building. Should've done it a couple of weeks ago. Now we'll show the big jerk who's who around here. Walking around like he owns the place.

They'd spent the morning going back and forth after Blair had dropped them off at the abandoned plant. He'd admonished them not to kill each other, but to otherwise work it out in their own fashion, and left.

It hadn't taken Ellison long to come up with a game plan that she was willing to go along with. He'd take off while she timed out for two minutes. Then it was a free-for-all and whoever 'killed' their opponent first, won. She'd been hot on his trail for close to ten minutes and then, somehow lost it. For the last half hour, she'd been creeping around the outer buildings searching for him, but that was over with now. She had him for sure.

She could smell Ellison, knew that he was hiding out in the warehouse. Now, how to get in without letting him know that she was onto him? Peering carefully in a broken window, she scanned the dark and shadowy interior for the man. She froze at the cocking of a gun at her ear, then the metal barrel kissed the back of her neck.

"Bang. You're dead."

Sighing, Shalimar faced the older man, arms crossing over her chest, as she demanded, "How did you do that? I can still smell you inside!"

With a smirk, Jim answered, "I hid a workout shirt inside."

"Okay," she allowed. "But that doesn't explain how you snuck up on me."

"I was in the Rangers," Jim stated, dismissive.

Shalimar snorted. "And? We've gone up against plenty of military guys and none of them were able to get the drop on me."

Jim held up a finger and corrected, "Rangers, not just military. Two completely different animals. I worked in covert ops and undercover in vice. I've got a lot more experience at this kind of thing than you do."

Grinning suddenly, Shalimar moved closer to him and challenged, "I so want to get you in a jungle setting, Ellison. Then we'll see who's the big kitty around here."

Amusement lit his pale eyes as Jim accepted, "You're on. Be prepared for defeat."

"Oh, I don't think so."

* * * *

Blair chuckled softly as Jim finished recounting the morning's adventure. Snuggling closer, he asked, "Don't you think that's taking advantage? She doesn't know that you spent 18 months in the Peruvian jungles, after all."

Grinning, Jim answered, "She's good, Chief. I think I need all the advantages I can get."

"So does this mean you're finally not going to tear her head off every time you're in the same room?" Blair asked, swatting the other man on the thigh.

"I guess. It's kind of fun, though."

"Great. You know, there is a perfectly valid reason that people aren't supposed to tease the animals. They tend to bite."

Jim shrugged and said, "I bite back."

"Oh, really," Blair murmured, sliding his hand up Jim's thigh and grasping the bundle between Jim's legs.

Without warning, Jim seized Blair's mouth in a hard kiss. Blair opened his mouth to the invasion and sighed in pleasure as he was maneuvered back on the bed. Jim's hands made short work of Blair's pants, dragging them and his boxers off and taking a few seconds to get rid of his own. They shucked their shirts at almost the same time, grinning at each other as they did so. Then Jim swooped onto Blair's cock with his mouth and Blair forgot how to grin.

Moaning at the hot suction of Jim's mouth, Blair thrust up with his hips, seeking more. Jim obliged, but only for another few minutes, then withdrew his mouth. Blair growled impatiently and reached for Jim, but the larger man easily evaded his hands, batting them away with a feral smile.

Blair only had another second or two to wonder what Jim was up to before a finger worked its way between his ass. "Oh, fuck."

"Like that?"

"Fuck, yeah!"

Jim chuckled as he started licking and sucking every bit of Blair's ass he could from the awkward position. It wasn't long before a second finger worked in with the first and Blair moaned eagerly, splaying his legs to encourage more. Between the tonguing and fingers, he was about ready to burst.

"Don't even think about it," Jim warned, tweaking Blair's cock at the base.

Blair smacked the top of Jim's head as he exclaimed, "Ow!"

Undisturbed, Jim went back to preparing Blair and added a third finger to the stretching. Shivering uncontrollably, Blair ordered hoarsely, "Do it, already, God!"

Surging forward, Jim took Blair's mouth in a devastating kiss as his cock pressed to Blair's ass. Panting into Jim's mouth and holding onto his lover's shoulders, Blair relaxed as much as he could against the invasion. It had been a long time for him, though, and they weren't at all prepared despite being in the bedroom, so it was slow going. It definitely took the edge off Blair's impending orgasm as the good-sized piece of flesh worked its way inside him.

Finally, finally they were completely joined and Jim rested on him for a few minutes, breathing deep for control. Rubbing his hands over his lover's back, Blair encouraged him to move when it felt like he wasn't going to be ripped apart. Jim did move then, slowly, barely pulling back to shove gently forward.

As his body tightened again with pleasure and need in equal parts, Blair whispered hot into Jim's ear, "Take your Guide, Sentinel, take what's yours."

With a heart-wrenching moan, Jim pulled back almost all the way this time and shoved forward. His prostate was hit often enough to send a jolt of pleasure through him on top of the incredible sensation of having Jim as his, of being Jim's in every way.

"Come on, come on Blair, come on," Jim ordered gutturally, thrusting hard each time.

Realizing that Jim wasn't going to come until he did, maybe even that he couldn't, Blair gave himself up completely to the magic Jim worked on his body. Orgasm tore through him and he cried out against Jim's shoulder, spurting hard between them. Jim moaned loudly, almost at the same time, and come shot deep inside Blair, completing him in a way he hadn't even known was empty.

Jim collapsed and Blair held tight, petting and whispering as Jim shuddered through the final dregs of passion. Though he knew he was going to be very sore from their impromptu lovemaking, he didn't care. It was a small price to pay for the boneless way Jim lay on him, the gasping breaths as Jim tried to come down from the high.

Come to think of it, he was pretty high on their love himself at the moment, and knew the grin on his face was goofy to say the least. Sighing in deep contentment, Blair's arms tightened possessively around the sweaty shoulders and his eyes drifted close.

* * * *

Adam looked over the expectant faces and smiled to himself. As always, everyone was ready at a moment's notice to do whatever he needed. It not only made him feel good, it made him feel better than he had since his disastrous conversation with Brennan a few days earlier. Something else that gave him an internal grin was Jim and Shalimar. They were sitting next to each other, picking and teasing back and forth. Blair had told him about the stalking scenarios and wished that he'd thought of it himself.

"I've got a good lead on who might have made the collar that Jesse was privileged to wear," he said at last. Brennan rudely nudged his friend, who flipped him the bird in return. Grinning, Adam touched a key and brought up an image of a woman on the computer screen as he continued, "This woman, Dr. Della Imber, is a physicist who was always on the fringe of the academic community because of her theories on crystals."

"Crystals?" Blair asked curiously.

Nodding, Adam explained, "She insisted that given the right type and size, under the proper audio or ultraviolet manipulation, crystals could not only affect the human physiology, but the mental state as well. Given how well the collar worked on Jesse, I'd say she found a way to interfere in the portion of the brain that gives you your abilities."

"So why didn't it work on me?"

"Because your senses don't work in the same manner as mutant powers do," Adam answered. "They don't even come from the same part of the brain. It sounds like she was given extensive material on mutant physiology and went to work from there."

Frowning, Emma commented, "That sounds like a Mason thing to do, but he's not around anymore."

"She could have been working for him and just kept going," Brennan pointed out.

Adam nodded at Brennan and agreed, "That's what I was thinking."

"So we pay her a visit?"

Looking over at Shalimar, he answered, "I don't think we need to go en masse. She's working out of her apartment now, so it's not as though there's any security to worry about."

Jesse shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You shouldn't go alone."

"I'll be fine," Adam assured them. "It's not even that far away."

"I'll go with you. Two eggheads are better than one," Blair offered with a grin.

Adam hesitated, then nodded. "All right, you might pick something up that I miss."

Snorting, Blair said, "With the amount of time my mother spent on crystals when I was a kid, that's entirely possible."

Jim laughed and pulled him into a headlock. "I always knew you were a neo-hippie punk."

"Jim!"

There was laughter from everyone as the meeting broke up. Adam walked quickly over to Brennan, wanting to catch him away from the others, something he hadn't been able to do yet. "Brennan, wait. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Brennan hesitated, then nodded.

They walked into the study and Adam closed the door, but stepped away from it so the other man wouldn't feel trapped. Facing Brennan, he said, "I'm sorry."

Startled, Brennan asked, "For what?"

"I should have been thinking about what you needed, not myself," Adam explained. "It was inexcusable and won't happen again."

Brennan didn't reply at first, instead looking anywhere except at Adam. Finally, he said, "I have a lot of things to think about, Adam. I ah, I talked to Blair and...I'm gonna work on some things. Maybe...could you give me some time?"

"As much as you need," Adam agreed immediately.

"So, for now though, can we do the friend thing?"

Smiling, relieved, Adam nodded. "Of course. I'm glad I didn't completely wreck our friendship. It means so much to me, Brennan."

A little shy, Brennan agreed, "Me, too."

They looked at each other for a couple of minutes before Adam said, "I should get going."

"Yeah. Hey, be careful, okay?"

"I will."

* * * *

"You're going to make me obsolete, you know."

Blair grinned at the good-natured complaint and buckled his seatbelt. "Nah. Not a chance."

"Thank you for helping Brennan," Adam said quietly.

Looking at the older man seriously, Blair stated, "I'm not doing it for you, Adam."

"I know."

The drive to Dr. Imber's house was quiet, but comfortable. When they were almost there, Adam said suddenly, "That was a good idea you had."

Blair looked at him. "What idea?"

"For Jim and Shalimar. Letting them really work things out in their own fashion."

Grinning, Blair said, "The only rule I had was no permanent damage. Aside from that, they could hunt to their heart's content. Jim was really only looking at it as an interesting chance to revamp his skills, but I think Shalimar's seriously into it."

Adam returned the grin and commented, "She would be. To her, this is a challenge on her place in the pack. She's our warrior, our protector and everyone accepts this. Jim threatens that order because he's a warrior, too."

"How does she see me?" Blair asked curiously.

Down-shifting as they approached a traffic light, Adam thought about it a moment then replied, "I think she sees you as vulnerable, someone who needs protection."

Blair opened his mouth to protest, then sighed. "Nothing new there."

With a chuckle, Adam comforted, "Don't let it bother you, I'm in the same category. The others all have their powers to protect them. We're only human."

Snorting, Blair looked out the window at the city for a few minutes. It was both the same and different from Cascade. It was a city, but not a city like New York or Chicago. The traffic and sirens that bespoke a city in motion were clearly audible, not even a white noise. The moisture had an oceanic taint to it, and he was still cold and wet. Shaking his head ruefully, Blair thought, Just can't seem to get to a warmer or drier climate. I'd even settle for one out of the two.

"Here we are," Adam announced a few minutes later, pulling to the curb and turning off the engine.

Getting out of the car, Blair followed Adam up the path to a small, single story house. It was pretty nondescript with an overgrown lawn and shuttered windows. "Not much for landscaping."

Adam smiled and knocked on the door.

A few moments later, it opened and Dr. Imber looked out at them. "Yes?"

"Dr. Imber, my name is Adam. I'd very much like to speak to you about your work," Adam said pleasantly.

Staring at him suspiciously, she demanded, "What about it?"

Blair looked around as Adam verbally tried to disarm the woman. The neighborhood has seen better days, that was for sure. The buildings were all in various stages of disrepair, the kind that spoke of neglect instead of wear. The few cars that were visible were rusty and also in need of work.

"Look, I don't talk to anyone about that anymore. Just leave me alone!"

Glancing at Adam when the door slammed, Blair observed, "I guess she's not working for whoever made the collar."

"No, I guess not," Adam agreed, troubled.

They walked back to the car. Blair was in the middle of pulling open the door when tires squealed, grabbing his attention. A late-model, black SUV was driving straight for them. Instantly knowing that they were in trouble, Blair pulled out his gun and shouted, "Adam!"

As Adam yanked open his door, Blair squeezed off a few rounds, hitting one of the tires. The SUV swerved, out of control and he jumped into the car. Before he had the door completely shut, Adam pulled away from the curb, burning rubber in an arc that turned them in the opposite direction of the SUV that was now lying on its side, the men inside climbing out.

An identical SUV pulled in behind them and Blair put his window down and leaned out, taking careful aim despite the wild way Adam was driving. The first two shots went wild, but the second and third hit the grate, puncturing the radiator because of the steam that billowed from under the hood. Adam took a sharp curve and Blair had to brace himself. The SUV was still behind them, so Blair shot twice more, finally getting a tire.

There was no further pursuit, so he started moving back inside. Then Adam shouted, "Hold on!" and the brakes were slammed on. Blair's gun went flying as he reached for anything to hang onto as the car swerved violently in a donut. His stomach rebelled, but Blair was too busy clutching the door, still facing backwards, to pay it much attention.

The car hit something and instantly, Blair's hands lost purchase at the violent stop. He slammed against the dash and window, pain slicing through his entire body before the world went dark.

* * * *

One minute everything was fine. Shalimar and Jim were sparring in the dojo, working up a real sweat and insulting the hell out of each other with each pass. Then, without warning, Jim shouted in pain and collapsed without her even touching him. Crouching beside him, Shalimar looked for injury, but didn't see anything despite the large man writhing in apparent agony.

"Emma!" she shouted, reinforcing the shout with a mental blast. Ever since Emma had helped her block out Ashlocke, they'd been connected in a way that came in very handy, for just such emergencies.

Not wanting to touch Jim in case that made things worse, Shalimar just looked on hopelessly as he groaned Blair's name, over and over. Within a minute, everyone, not just Emma, surrounded her.

"What happened?" Brennan demanded.

"I don't know!" she exclaimed. "He just collapsed!"

Jesse knelt beside Jim and gripped the man's shoulder. "Jim? Jim, can you hear me?"

"Blair, oh God, Blair," Jim gasped, eyes clenched shut.

Emma knelt as well, only she grabbed the Sentinel's head between her hands, staring intently at him. After a few seconds, she stiffened, but didn't release her hold as she reported, "Blair and Adam are in trouble. Blair's injured, badly. We have to get to him right away or he could die. Jim, we need you here, you have to let go of the pain and come back where you can save your Guide. You have to let it go and focus on right here, right now. Block it out. Dial it down, whatever you need to do, but concentrate!"

Jim shuddered violently, but finally stopped speaking Blair's name in such a heartbreaking fashion and opened his eyes. He seemed dazed for a few more seconds, then he rolled to his feet as if he'd never collapsed. With cold eyes, he ordered, "Everyone in the Double Helix. We're leaving."

* * * *

Jesse set the Double Helix in a parking lot half a block from the accident scene. Cops and firemen were already all over the place, dousing the remaining flames from a twisted wreck and ruin of metal that used to be two separate cars. When they arrived, Jesse watched in open-mouthed admiration at the way Ellison infiltrated the cops as the rest of them stood on the sidelines. He moved from person to person, gathering information with the ease of someone born to the role. "Wow."

Shalimar snorted and muttered, "More experience, he says. Yeah. Just a little."

Looking at her curiously, he asked, "What?"

She shook her head and answered sourly, "Never mind.

Knowing from her tone that Ellison had just proved something to Shalimar and she wasn't too thrilled with it, Jesse grinned and turned to Emma. "Anything?"

Dragging her eyes from Jim, Emma replied, "Blair was taken to the hospital, they aren't sure he's going to make it. No one knows where the driver is and the men from the SUV are dead from the impact."

"So Adam's missing," Brennan stated quietly.

Emma looked at him and nodded. "Yeah."

Wincing, at least to himself, Jesse waited for Brennan to take control of the situation, but it didn't. Instead, the larger man just waited, watching Ellison walk back to them with something like hope. Surprised, Jesse was about to ask something when the cop returned.

"There was a chase with two other SUV's," Jim reported. "Blair shot out tires in both of them, as well as puncturing the engine on one of them. Adam's nowhere to be found and there was no one else who needed medical attention. That means there were four, possibly five, vehicles involved because they picked up Adam and the rest of their people."

"Why didn't they take Blair?" Shalimar asked quietly.

"Because they didn't think he would make it. Not worth the time and effort to secure someone with extensive internal injuries when they'd probably just have to dump the body later anyhow. Easier to let the locals patch him up and take him later. Brennan, you and Jesse take the Helix up and scan for Adam's ring. Shalimar, you and Emma stick around here and see what else you can pick up. I'm going to the hospital to check on Blair."

No one argued.

* * * *

Adam sat quiet in the interrogation chair, knowing that it was useless to struggle against the metal bands holding his arms and legs in place. He wasn't going anywhere until the people holding him decided to move him. His shirt had been stripped so that the cold metal pressed against his back. He no longer had his socks and shoes and somehow that seemed more unnerving than anything else.

Waiting was always the worst. Not knowing who had him, or why always made his stomach feel like it was being eaten from the inside out. The good news was that his ring was still on his finger, which meant the others had a way to track him. Assuming, of course, that he wasn't behind a truly fortified or underground facility.

The hiss of the door opening signaled that he was no longer alone, but no one spoke for a few minutes, as though observing him.

"Hello Adam."

His back stiffened at the smooth, all-too-familiar voice from behind. "Mason."

A moment later, Mason entered his peripheral vision, then stood in front of him. His white hair was shorter and the clothes were different, but the same, cool, expressionless eyes stared at him. "I'm so glad that you followed the bread crumbs we left you. It's too bad that young Mr. Sandburg didn't make it, there's a lot I could have discerned from him. I understand that he's almost as smart as you are."

Adam didn't allow himself to believe that Blair was dead. It was more likely that Mason was trying to get him emotionally off-balance than true. "Almost. To what do I owe the pleasure, Mason? Last I heard, you were off in dreamland."

A faint smile crossed the pale face as Mason replied, "Ah yes. Mr. Ashlocke's precipitous revenge fantasy fulfilled. Fortunately, I do have allies who wanted me on my feet and not locked away in cold storage."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Adam said dryly.

A flicker of anger showed in Mason's eyes before he agreed, "Yes, I'm sure you are. Tell me, how is the new world order coming along? I understand that you're working for the government these days. That must sit well."

"Well you know. The work's all right, but the pay is terrible," Adam replied.

"I'm sure," Mason murmured. He paused, then said, "You have something that I want."

"There's a surprise."

The smile reappeared briefly as Mason's eyes flickered briefly over Adam. "Yes, well, that's neither here nor there. Detective Ellison. I want him."

Unable to stop the taunt, Adam replied, "I didn't realize he was your type, Mason. I thought you went more along the lines of cold fish."

Mason's jaw tightened and he said, "Very droll, Adam. You can save yourself a lot of pain if you'll just tell me where he is."

Looking at the man who used to be his best friend, Adam slowly shook his head. "I'm not going to give him up, Mason."

"Pity."

The door opened at Mason's signal and a slight, ethereal woman pushed a wheeled trolley in front of the chair where Adam sat. On it sat several trays containing syringes and metal instruments that were usually found in an operating room.

Meeting Mason's eyes, Adam said, "Don't do this, Mason."

"I'm afraid you've left me no choice, Adam," Mason replied, regret tinging his voice. "My partners have an exclusive interest in Detective Ellison and you're my only link to him."

Adam watched the woman pick up a hypo and tap the glass container before squirting a small amount of red liquid from the top. Swallowing down his fear, Adam watched her come close, taking in her pale eyes and dark hair, her professional and strangely courteous manner as she smiled at him. He grunted when the needle jabbed into his shoulder.

"Hello, Dr. Kane. My name is Elizabeth. We're going to get very well acquainted.

* * * *

Jim thanked the officer who dropped him off at the hospital emergency entrance and raced inside, aiming for the administration desk. When the woman looked up at him, he said, "My partner was brought in about an hour ago from a car accident. He's listed as a John Doe, probably in surgery."

She nodded and replied, "He is, Detective...?"

"Joseph. James Joseph. My partner's name is Jacob Sand," Jim stated easily.

"He's going to be fine, detective," she informed him, smiling at his sigh of relief. "He's still in surgery, but they're finishing up. He'll be in recovery for a couple of hours."

Hopeful from her helpful and sympathetic manner, he asked, "Can I see him then?"

"I'm sure I can manage to get you in. Just fill these out and I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you so much," Jim said gratefully.

Smiling, she said, "My brother's a cop, so I know what it's like. Sometimes I think he's closer to his partner than his wife, but don't tell her that."

Jim echoed the smile and took the clipboard from her, moving to sit in a chair set away from everyone else. It was quieter, if not quiet, and he closed his eyes, opening his hearing to try and track Blair down.

It took a long time to filter out the routine hospital business, but finally, he locked onto the familiar heartbeat. It was at a normal rhythm, which meant whatever damage had been done wasn't as extensive as initially thought. The lungs were clear as well, no additional damage inflicted on the newly healed organs.

Sighing in relief, Jim pulled his hearing back and started filling out the familiar forms. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Should just carry our medical records with us and save on the damned writer's cramp."

* * * *

Emma sighed as the last of the police and rescue workers packed up to leave. "I guess we should call Jesse and Brennan for a pick up."

When Shalimar didn't answer, Emma glanced at her friend to find her staring intently at a kid across the street. Curious, she asked, "What is it?"

Shaking her head, Shalimar replied, "That kid saw the whole thing."

"How do you know?" Emma demanded, startled.

"His heart's beating really fast, like he's afraid, and his eyes have been glued to the scene the whole time."

Emma concentrated on the boy and gasped at the vortex of emotions swirling inside him. She didn't even have to try hard to know what was going on. "He doesn't want to talk to the cops, but wants to help."

"Well, let's give him another option then."

They strode across the road, but he saw them coming and ran for it.

"Damn it!" Shalimar hissed, sprinting into a run. Emma was close behind as she followed the kid into an alley. He ducked through a tiny slit in the fence at the end, one far too small for them to get through quickly. Shalimar leaped right over it, easily clearing the barbed wire at the top, and landed only a few feet behind the kid.

Snagging his jacket, Shalimar yanked backward, hauling the kid off his feet. He struggled and opened his mouth to shout for help, so she clamped a hand over it. "Easy, kid, we're not going to hurt you, I promise! We just need to talk to you about what you saw."

"We're not cops," Emma added breathlessly, finally joining them. Her clothes were smeared with dirt and torn in one place from squeezing through the fence.

When he stopped struggling, Shalimar noticed an attitude enter his eyes that would have done Brennan proud. Shaking her head, she pulled her hand away and said, "Our friend was taken, he was driving the car. We just want to know who took him. Can you answer that?"

"Yeah," he answered. "How much is it worth to ya?"

Definitely do Brennan proud, Shalimar thought in amusement.

Emma barely hid a smile as she countered sternly, "That depends on what you've got for us."

He stared at them a second, then said, "Bunch of scary dudes in black coats. Thought I was watching a mob hit or something, so I hid."

"Notice anything unusual about them? Some kind of marking on the cars they drove?" Emma questioned.

"Nah. No ID or nothin,' but there was one guy who really stood out."

Shalimar adjusted her hold on his collar and demanded, "Why's that?"

"Watch it! He was like an albino or something. White hair, white skin, couldn't see his eyes behind the glasses, but I bet they were pink."

Emma met Shalimar's eyes and knew the other woman had the exact same thought: Mason Eckhart.

* * * *

Getting out of the car, Brennan waited for Jesse to come around and then they walked to the hospital. He was mostly working on auto-pilot because if he gave his emotions even an inch, he'd either be a quivering wreck or a raging tornado.

"You all right?" Jesse asked quietly as they waited at the elevator.

Brennan shook his head. "No."

"We'll find him, Bren."

Swallowing against the despair and fear closing his throat, Brennan whispered, "But will it be in time?"

Jesse didn't have an answer for that, but the elevator doors opened and they got in. There were others on it, so the conversation was suspended. Glancing down the hall, Brennan saw the right room and headed for it. He hesitated outside the hospital room and looked at Jesse. "You really think that we should interrupt?"

"We have to," Jesse pointed out.

After another moment, Brennan nodded and opened the door, stepping inside. Jesse was right behind him, almost knocking into him when he stopped. Jim sat in a chair by the bed where Blair was stretched out, attached to what looked like an obscene amount of wires. Clearing his throat, though Ellison had to know that they were there, Brennan asked, "How is he?"

Holding Blair's hand, Jim answered, "He'll be fine. There were tears in his spleen, but they were able to repair it. His spine's bruised, but not damaged thank God. It's swollen, so he's probably going to be temporarily paralyzed. They don't know to what extent."

"Jesus," Jesse breathed.

They all jumped when Blair rasped, "Did I...hit...anything?"

Jim leaned closer, one of his hands carefully touching Blair's forehead as he answered, "Yeah, buddy, you did some serious damage."

Pained blue eyes opened, locking on Jim. "Adam?"

Stroking Blair's temple, Jim shook his head. "They got him, Blair. Left you for dead."

A brief smile touched Blair's lips as he said, "Not...first time."

"Yeah, I know, Chief. You always beat them," Jim agreed, echoing the smile faintly.

"Can't..." Blair stopped to breathe, frowning with fear. "My legs won't...move."

Jim nodded and assured him, "Just temporary, Chief. The doctors say the swelling in your spine has to come down first."

Relief etched Blair's face and he sighed deeply. Some of the drug induced fog left as his eyes flickered to Brennan and Jesse. "Hey guys."

At the invitation, both men stepped forward, stopping behind Jim.

Jesse smiled and said, "You're more of a trouble magnet than Brennan."

"Hey! Watch it!" Brennan exclaimed with a grin.

Blair grinned. "That's me."

Turning serious, Brennan said to Jim, "No sign of Adam."

Jim frowned and asked, "Does anyone know about the communicators?"

"Just other mutants in the underground," Jesse answered.

The door opened just then to admit Shalimar and Emma. The women crowded the bed and Blair grinned at Jim, saying, "Haven't had this many visitors in a long time."

Shalimar made a minor fuss over Blair as she took up position on the other side of the bed, pulling the blanket up around Blair and saying, "You had us worried."

"I do that sometimes," he replied, taking her hand with the one not still held by Jim. He eyed her for a moment, then looked to Emma thoughtfully and said, "You know who has Adam."

* * * *

Jim grinned to himself at the startled looks on everyone's faces. Blair still had the knack from coming out of nowhere with the right thing, injured or not. Putting aside those thoughts, Jim asked, "What did you find out?"

Shaking off the surprise, Shalimar reported, "A kid witnessed the whole thing. Said a bunch of guys in black coats took Adam. And there was a white haired albino type of man with them."

"Eckhart!" Brennan snapped.

Jesse grabbed his arm, holding him in place. "Easy, Bren, we don't know anything right now."

Jim nodded, eyeing Brennan until the younger man subsided sullenly. "He's right. But that's about to change. We'll go under the assumption that it is Eckhart and that someone freed him from that, what do you call it?"

"Stasis pod," Emma supplied.

"Right, Stasis pod. Jesse, you're the computer man so try to find out who would have freed him that way. Track down any old allies, friends, business acquaintances, anyone who needed Eckhart in action," Jim ordered. "Emma, go with him. Brennan, I want you and Shalimar to go to Genomex and see if you can pick anything up there. I don't care how you do it, but someone knows who let Eckhart out. Since they're still in business, it'll be someone on the premises."

There were nods all around and, after quiet good-byes to Blair, they all filtered out.

When Jim looked back at Blair, it was to find love and amusement in equal parts staring back at him. "What?"

"I see you've gotten over your problems about working as part of MutantX."

"Shut up, Sandburg."

* * * *

Everything was dark, fuzzy, painful. He didn't really want to wake up, but someone kept calling his name. He didn't like that voice; it reminded him of a time before pain, a time without pain. If he answered it, he knew something bad would happen. He would do something bad. Give something away that he shouldn't.

Think about something else...

But how could he even think? There was too much for him to handle. Fire in his blood. Ice on his skin. Even his thoughts hurt. He was going to shake apart from the inside, out.

Brennan, please, please come for me. Make it stop, Brennan, please...

The voice continued to call for him. He didn't know how much longer he could keep himself from answering.

It would probably be better for everyone if he just followed the darkness inside and faded away.

* * * *

Shalimar glanced at Brennan as they entered the Genomex parking lot. He hadn't said a word since leaving Blair's hospital room, which was very unusual. It was pretty obvious where his thoughts lay. "It's not your fault."

Brennan flinched and got out of the car without answering her.

Catching up to his longer strides, Shalimar repeated, "It's not your fault, Brennan."

"Let's not do this right now, okay, Shal?"

"All right. How do you want to play this?"

"I'll take lead. Just...stay out of my way."

There was an undertone to his voice that she hadn't heard since the scorpion bitch and it promised blood and mayhem. "Brennan, losing control right now isn't going to help."

Turning dark eyes on her, Brennan replied coolly, "I'm not going to lose control. I'm going to tear the place apart until someone gives us answers."

* * * *

Jim heard the cops approaching and released Blair's hand. Even sleeping, his lover protested the loss and he smiled briefly before putting on his game face and getting to his feet. He opened the door when they stopped outside the room, startling everyone.

The man in front lowered the hand that had been about to knock on the door. He was about Jim's age, though not in nearly as good shape with a mostly gone hairline and pale hair and eyes. The second man was younger with dark hair and eyes, an Italian look about him."Detective Joseph?"

Jim nodded. "That's me."

"I'm Detective Hammers," the man introduced. "This is my partner, Detective Kessel."

Jim nodded again and suggested, "Let's take this somewhere else. My partner's sleeping."

They stepped back and Jim let the door glide shut, moving a little down the hall.

When they reached a coffee machine, he faced them and asked, "What can I do for you?"

"You can tell us what's going on," Kessel stated.

Jim shrugged. "Wish I could. I have no idea."

Hammers frowned, taking over the interrogation with, "Let's start with something simple, then. Why are you in town?"

"Visiting friends."

"Address?"

123 Millars Ave, Apt. 4. The name's Emma de Lauro."

"Where was your partner heading this morning and who was he with?"

"He was going to the university library and he was alone."

"University library?"

With another shrug, Jim replied, "He's a scholar at heart, what can I say. Knows the weirdest stuff."

"Forensics team said that he wasn't driving," Kessel put in.

Feigning surprise, Jim looked at him and demanded, "He wasn't?"

Hammers eyed him shrewdly. "So that's news to you?"

Nodding, Jim confirmed, "As far as I know, he was by himself."

"Well he wasn't, so we need to know who he was with," Kessel stated.

No shit, Sherlock, Jim thought before lying, "I have no idea who was with him."

"Where are you two from?" Hammer asked.

"New York."

"How long are you here for?"

"A couple weeks. Well, longer now since Jacob has to recover. That's really going to throw things off back home," Jim complained bitterly.

Hammer nodded slowly and asked, "Do you have a number I can reach you at?"

Jim pulled out his wallet and withdrew a business card that Adam had had made up. They both had new identities and everything that went with it. Holding it out to Hammer, he asked, "Was there anything else?"

"No, that should do it for now," Hammer said, taking Jim's card and holding out his own. "Be sure and contact us when your partner's able to answer some questions."

"I will."

The other man stared at him a moment longer, then nodded and left abruptly.

Glad that was over with, Jim turned and went back to the room.

* * * *

Fingers lit up like barely contained electricity, Brennan used his free hand to pin the man to the wall. "Let's try this again. Who woke up Eckhart and let him go?"

The man tried to squirm away, but Brennan not only was larger, he was much stronger. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Brennan loosed a spark to singe the man's hair. It caught and he shrieked in fear and pain. Brennan slapped it out and, in turn, slapped the man around at the same time. "Who was it!?"

Shaking, the man gasped, "Malone! His name's Malone."

"Who's he work for?"

"I don't know, I swear! He used to come around now and again when Eckhart was in charge," the man babbled. "I was only a tech back then, didn't know anything."

"Brennan. We're about to have company," Shalimar announced from her lookout point at the door.

Brennan knocked the man out cold and ordered, "Get out of the way, Shal."

Without a word, she moved away from the door, implicit approval for what he was going to do. Building the electricity between his hands into a swirling ball of light twice the size of a basketball, Brennan waited until the door opened. Several armed guards came rushing in and he flung his hands out, snapping the ball towards them. It struck, exploding into a web of electricity that sent them flying.

"Feel better?" Shalimar asked mildly as they surveyed the damage.

Gritting his teeth, Brennan replied, "I won't feel better until we get Adam back."

* * * *

"Malone, huh?" Jesse repeated with a frown. He remembered seeing the name somewhere in the insane network of Eckhart's contacts. The man knew more people than God, and was just that to most of them. On the good side, because of that, it was easy to narrow the list to about twenty people who weren't negatively affected by Eckhart's release.

"There, Jesse!"

Jesse stopped the screen at Emma's exclamation and pulled up the reference. "Ooh. Very nice. Armed robbery. Assault with intent. Armed robbery again. Assault and battery three, no, four times. Attempted murder. Murder one. Not convicted on the last two. The evidence mysteriously disappeared."

Frowning, Brennan asked, "Who's he working for now?"

"Ah..." Jesse scanned the file and answered, "Lovely. He's gone political. The IRA."

"Well, with the last name Malone," Shalimar offered.

Jesse shrugged. "Good point. What now?"

"Any places that he likes to hang out?" Emma asked.

Looking through the file again, Jesse nodded and said, "A pub downtown."

"Get the address to Ellison, have him meet us there," Brennan ordered, grabbing his coat from the chair he'd flung it on.

"What if he doesn't want to leave the hospital?"

"He will. Trust me."

Jesse watched Brennan and Shalimar leave, wondering sourly when he'd become the secretary.

* * * *

No one looked up when Jim entered the bar, but he could feel the eyes on him. There hadn't been a bouncer on the outside, but that was probably because the place was guarded by Smith and Wesson. The talk inside was muted beneath the fiddle music coming from speakers and the voices lyrical, a great many of them with an actual Irish brogue.

Wandering to the bar, Jim took a seat and nodded to the bartender, a young guy with the pale skin and dark hair typical even of second and third generation Irish.

"What can I get you?"

"A double Glen Livit," Jim answered, setting a fifty on the bar.

The hazel eyes didn't even widen as the young man picked up the bill and poured a double. "Anything else then?"

"Looking for Malone."

"Lots of those around here."

Jim grinned wolfishly, acknowledging the hit. "It's for a job I'm looking to have done that requires his...special skill-set."

"Ah. It's head-breaking you're looking for then?"

"I didn't say that," Jim countered.

"No, of course not," the man replied, dryly. "Still, if you were, Malone'd be the one for it."

"You expect him in tonight?"

The bartender nodded. "Usually comes in about now. Shall I send him to your table?"

"Yeah, thanks," Jim agreed, getting to his feet and crossing the bar to a table near the back.

The men he passed were of different ages, but they all had the same, blue collar look to them. This was no stock market hangout. All of the men there had seen their own share of violence, probably dishing it out as well as taking it, at one point or another. Good men, for the most part, with families to feed and clothe. Jim knew that Malone was the exception in this pub, not the norm.

That wouldn't save him from a beating if they suspected he was setting Malone up, Jim knew. Malone was one of them, however peripherally, Jim was not.

Sipping at the golden liquid slowly, Jim extended his senses a little and picked up traces of conversation all throughout the room. The door opened and a man entered, aiming directly for the bar. The bartender spoke to him quietly and the newcomer looked in Jim's direction. After getting a beer, the man approached Jim's table with a swagger.

Jim grinned to himself, thinking darkly, This is going to be easy.

Sitting, Malone greeted, "Heard you were askin' about me."

With a nod, Jim took another sip of his drink. "I understand that you're the man to get a message to Eckhart."

"Don't know who you're talkin' about."

"No, of course not," Jim agreed. He fished out a wad of bills and started to slowly count them out. Thank God for unlimited credit cards. He didn't even want to know what Adam used to pay the bills.

Malone's eyes widened slightly at the amount of money and he swallowed, his heart beating faster. "My memory's a little foggy, but, white haired guy, right? Ugly glasses?"

Setting five hundred on the table, Jim nodded. "That's him. Do you know how to get a message to him, or should I find someone else?"

"Ah, I might," Malone answered, reaching for the cash.

Jim's hand grabbed Malone's and squeezed hard.

"Leave off, man!" Malone exclaimed quietly, anger rising in his eyes.

Leaning forward, Jim said, "I need to be sure that he gets this message personally. It's vital. Do you understand?"

"Yeah!"

Jim held the other man's gaze a moment longer, then released him and sat back.

Malone pulled his hand and the cash back, rubbing his wrist with an irritated expression. "So what's the message already?"

Jim pulled a slim metal box from the interior of his jacket and put it on the table. "Give that to him. He'll know what to do with it."

"So now I'm a delivery boy?" Malone demanded.

Stone-faced, Jim pulled out the money and set down another five hundred. "There's your raise. Hand it only to Eckhart. There's another thousand in it for you if you bring me his response, plus whatever Eckhart gives you."

"How do I get in touch with you?"

"You don't. I'll be here tomorrow night at this time. If you get an answer, you can give it to me then," Jim stated, draining the last of his drink and getting to his feet.

He left the bar and turned right, moving swiftly but without a rush. The Helix was parked in an empty lot nearby with everyone in it. If everything went as planned, Malone would lead them right to Eckhart and Adam.

Hopefully before it was too late.

* * * *

"Damn. He's good," Jesse said in admiration. Being properly wired, everything Ellison had seen and said had been transmitted back to the Helix. Shalimar and Brennan wore similar expressions, but Emma seemed withdrawn. Frowning, he asked, "What's wrong, Em?"

"It's Ellison," Emma answered reluctantly.

Shalimar looked at her, a frown blossoming on her face as well. "What about him?"

"It's hard to describe," Emma said slowly. "It's like...he's two different people inside."

"You're saying he's schizo?" Brennan demanded.

Emma shook her head, frustrated at her inability to describe what she kept sensing from the cop. "No, no, he's not. But there's this...sense...beneath everything else. Like, if you strip away the civilization, if he's left in some wilderness, he'd be perfectly at home. The problem is that he's got to live in civilization, and that being is still there, waiting for the opportunity to get loose."

"Nice," Jesse muttered.

Shalimar spoke up with, "I know what you mean, Emma. Even considering all his training and extra sharp senses, Ellison's still human. When we were doing that exercise a few days ago, he completely got the drop on me and I just...I can't explain it."

Brennan snorted. "Maybe he's just better than you."

Shoving him, Shalimar made a face.

"Are we ready to go?"

Everyone jumped at Ellison's harsh demand. Jesse flushed in embarrassment at being caught like some gossip, talking about the other man behind his back. Keying in the engine sequence, Jesse confirmed, "Signal's strong and steady. Following him should be easy."

The older man took a seat towards the back and ordered, "Let's go. We've got a man waiting."

There was silence as Jesse piloted the Helix into the sky and he suspected that everyone else was just as discomfited.

* * * *

Mason looked dispassionately at the wreck of a man who used to be his rival, if not his enemy. Adam was sprawled on the floor, bleeding profusely from numerous incisions, bruised over almost every inch of skin, and drugged insensate. Despite all that, Adam had revealed nothing. Or, perhaps, because of all that. Mason knew what a strong mind could do when given the proper motivation.

It was entirely possible that Adam had surrendered the consciousness of self rather than betray those he was sworn to protect. Mildly irritated at being thwarted, Mason looked at the guard and said, "Have the doctors clean him up and fix him. Tell Elizabeth her subject should be ready by morning and she can move onto the next phase."

The guard nodded without a trace of unease. "Yes, Mr. Eckhart."

Glancing at the man's name badge as he passed by, Mason made a note to keep an eye on him. Someone with that kind of stomach and...moral flexibility...was worth cultivating.

* * * *

"That's the building," Jesse announced.

Jim looked over his shoulder at the monitor, taking in the guards and security of the warehouse. "Do we have some kind of radar or x-ray something on this bird?"

Jesse snorted and answered, "No. Adam's good, but he's not from Krypton."

Grinning briefly, Jim said, "Jesse, you and Emma are with me. Brennan, create a distraction. A big one. As Blair would say, 'Express yourself, don't repress yourself.'"

Everyone chuckled, and Shalimar asked, "What about me?"

Jim glanced at the blond. "I need you to stay here and be ready to fly out when we're ready to leave. It's going to be tight."

* * * *

The moment the first explosion rocked the warehouse, Jesse broke down the back door by phasing solid and slamming his fists into it. The three of them entered the hall, Emma projecting sleep thoughts at the two men rushing towards them.

Jim breathed deeply, extending his smell and hearing to get a lock on Adam. It took forever, and there were three more explosions while he oriented himself, but finally Jim announced, "Got him."

They ran down the hall, meeting and defeating everyone they came into contact with. Between Jesse's fists and Emma's projections, no one stood a chance. Jim didn't even have to aim his gun, let alone shoot it. Pausing at a junction, Jim breathed deep again then motioned right and said, "That way."

It was the third door down and Jesse broke it in without hesitation. Adam was strapped to an interrogation chair and out cold. Which was just as well considering how bad he looked. Jim felt for a pulse, relaxing only slightly upon finding one. "Jesse, free him."

Grim, Jesse tore off the ankle and wrist clamps while Emma held Adam upright.

"Detective Ellison. How nice to finally meet you."

Jim looked over at the voice, gun coming up as he did so. Standing easily in the door was a slender, white-haired man wearing thick black glasses. Jim cocked the hammer on his gun and asked, "Eckhart, right? Can't say the same."

"Now, now, detective, there's no need for further violence, I just wish to speak with you," Mason stated, entering the room. "That's the only reason I took Adam, after all."

Though he was aching to get rid of the threat this man plainly represented, Jim couldn't shoot him in cold blood. "Talk."

"There is a consortium who wishes to employ you. It's work you're quite familiar with, I believe, and you would be well paid."

"All this for a job offer? Why didn't you just place an ad?"

"This particular group wishes your talents exclusively. I believe you know the man in charge, a Colonel McKenzie?"

Jim froze at the revelation then put away his gun, though he kept the safety off as he holstered it. "I suggest you rethink your strategy if you're dealing with MacKenzie. He's the worst kind of scum. And in case you didn't anticipate the answer, it's no. Emma, do me a favor and knock him out."

"With pleasure," Emma murmured, staring hard at Eckhart. Grunting softly in surprise, Eckhart fell hard to the floor. "Unpleasant dreams, Eckhart."

Turning to Adam, Jim pulled the other man into his arms and said, "Let's get out of here."

It took several minutes to get back to where they were, the last explosion having taken place just before Mason's arrival. They met a lot more guards on the way and these were shooting first. When they finally got out the back door, they met up with Brennan, who was waiting for them. He looked at the young man and asked, "Can you manage another blast?"

"I'm dry, Ellison," Brennan gasped, leaning against the wall, trying to get his breath back.

Jim nodded, understanding. "That was a hell of a diversion. Here, take Adam and we'll do this the old-fashioned way."

Brennan carefully took Adam from Jim, cradling the limp man to his chest and putting on a burst of speed to reach Shalimar and the Helix. Exhaustion pulled at him, but he doggedly ran towards the promised safety of the aircraft. Jim's gun went off several times, providing cover for them as he ran.

Familiar hands caught his wild flight as he leaped the last few feet into the Helix. He felt them start to rise, and shouted, "Jim's not on yet!"

"I am now!" Jim exclaimed, coming up from a roll. "Get us out of here!"

Shalimar simultaneously closed the back door and took off the rest of the way.

Thankfully, the inertia was nil, as it always was, so Brennan could stumble to a chair and collapse. He could barely keep his eyes open, but resisted when Emma and Jesse tried to take Adam from him, giving a good imitation of Shalimar's feral growl. They backed off and Brennan shifted, moving Adam into a more comfortable position for them both.

Holding tight, Brennan prayed harder than he had in a long time.

* * * *

"There's nothing we can do," Emma announced softly, staring at Adam's unconscious body with tears in her eyes. "Physically, he'll be fine. We can keep him alive indefinitely with IV fluids. It's not even a coma or catatonia, nothing medically induced. He's just...not there. There's no brain activity at all, aside from autonomic functions."

Brennan felt sick. "What're you saying? That he's, he's brain dead?"

Emma nodded, wiping at her eyes.

Despair washed over him and Brennan left the group to move to Adam's side, taking the other man's hand in his. "Adam, please, don't do this."

Jim gripped his shoulder and said, "We'll find a way, Brennan, I promise. Blair will find one."

Though he heard the confidence in the older man's voice, Brennan could only stare at Adam's lax face and cry silent tears.

What he needed to make himself whole was gone.

* * * *

Blair's homecoming was a bittersweet event at best. Everyone was glad to see him, happy that he was almost back to full strength, but were still shell-shocked at Adam's continued coma. As soon as the hellos and hugs were exchanged, the others returned to whatever it was they had been doing. Jim helped him walk with an arm around his waist. When Blair realized they were going to the bedroom, he shook his head and stated, "I have to see Adam."

"Blair, you're not strong enough to do anything," Jim protested.

Shaking his head, Blair said, "The longer he wanders in the plane between worlds, the less likely I can reach him. It has to be now."

Jaw tight with disapproval, Jim nonetheless changed their path towards the infirmary.

Blair sighed when he saw Brennan sitting on the edge of the bed that held Adam. It didn't look like the young man had gotten any sleep since it happened, and that had been almost two weeks ago. His clothes and body looked clean, but that was probably only because everyone had hounded him into doing it. "Brennan."

Brennan looked at him and Blair instantly left Jim's protective embrace to wrap his arms around Brennan's shoulders. Great, wracking sobs tore through Brennan as he clung to Blair, his emotions obviously overwhelming him. Blair winced with pain at the strength of the arms around him, but waved Jim off, motioning for him to leave the room. Disgruntled, Jim nonetheless obeyed.

Running his hands soothingly through the thick, dark hair, Blair just held Brennan, letting the other man get everything out. He needed Brennan clear and present if they were going to have any success at getting Adam back.

Finally, Brennan pulled back, wiping at his eyes and saying, "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

With a smile, Blair passed it off with, "Not really. I guess I don't have to ask how you're doing."

Brennan shook his head, breathing shakily. "Guess not."

Sitting on the bed beside him, Blair said, "There's no guarantee that this will work, but there is one thing we can try."

"Anything."

"Do you love him?"

Brennan stiffened and asked, "What's that got to do with anything?"

"The best chance for this to work, is if someone who loves Adam does it," Blair explained patiently.

Swallowing, Brennan nodded. "Yeah. I love him. Heart and soul."

"And body?"

There was a long pause, then Brennan again nodded, whispering, "Yeah."

"All right then. Strip Adam and yourself, then climb into bed with him."

Eyes widening in shock, Brennan demanded, "What?"

"I need you in contact with him," Blair answered calmly. "I'm going to walk you through a spirit quest. My own bastardized version of the Native American one, which fits really, since I'm a bastard."

Brennan's jaw gaped open and he didn't move. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly so," Blair assured him softly.

Brennan glanced from Blair to Adam then back, as if checking for a joke.

"The longer you sit here undecided, the more enmeshed he gets in the spirit world," Blair stated. "The more chance there is that he's never going to come back where he belongs."

After another long silence, Brennan yanked his shirt over his head.

Nodding to himself, Blair got to his feet and looked around for somewhere comfortable to sit. This was going to take a long, long time. While Brennan was settling in the bed and pulling Adam into his arms, Blair had searched Adam's music collection for anything with a beat. He found a Native American disk and breathed thankfully. Not the tribe he was part of, but it would do.

Turning on the stereo, he hit repeat on an insistent drum melody and put the volume to just above hearing level. Sitting in the chair he'd dragged over to the bed, Blair asked, "Are you comfortable?"

Brennan nodded.

"Good. Close your eyes. Put one hand over Adam's heart and take his hand with the other."

Without hesitation, Brennan obeyed.

"Adam's trapped in the world between worlds. He can't find his way back and needs you to show him. I want you to talk to him now, whisper to his heart how you feel, ask him to come back."

There was a moment's silence this time, then Brennan burrowed against Adam and started whispering into the other man's ear.

Over the sibilant hissing of Brennan's whispers, Blair closed his eyes and drew the power inside that he'd felt only on rare occasions. He let it flood him, body and soul, until it needed an outlet and he spoke. "In the world between worlds, there is no form. You will wash away this physical body and take your true self. You will walk in the legs, or fly with wings, or slither on the belly of your inner wisdom. The Spirits will guide your steps and I will guide you back. My voice is your beacon, my will is your path. Take it now and find that which you have lost."

* * * *

He drifted on a cloud, not feeling anything, not seeing anything, not hearing anything but the quiet hum of a smooth, luxurious voice and the rhythmic pulse of a drum. He didn't know how long he was like that, but it felt like a long time. When he noticed his surroundings at last, or maybe when it finally appeared around him, trees ancient and massive reached to a hidden sky. The ground was covered in fallen pine needles that slid under his paws.

He whined a little, anxious for the rough pavement that had always been his home, but continued forward. Settling into an easy lope, he covered a lot of ground in very little time. He was looking for something, he knew that, he just couldn't quite remember what.

Then a familiar scent came to him on the air and heat surged through him, quickening his pace. He divined the maze of the forest easily, this natural one being no contest to the manmade labyrinth of the city.

Slowing when he came upon a clearing within the forest, he saw a small cage in the center. In the cage was a wolf, snarling and frothing at the mouth. Razor sharp fangs snapped against the ultra-metal confinement, but did no damage to it. The wolf was white, arctic, with dark eyes that had little of sanity in them. Cautious, he approached on his stomach, despite the wolf being unable to get to him. This was a purebred, a hunter, a fierce creature that could and would snap his neck without a second thought.

Whining when he was within a short distance of those frightening teeth, he rolled onto his back and squirmed even closer. He wanted to help, wanted to offer himself to this beautiful animal. The snarling lessened to a constant growling rumble as the wolf stared at him. He whimpered and touched his nose to the cage, receiving a swat for the effort.

Twisting away with a yelp, he licked at the sore scratch and was surprised to find no blood. The wolf had given him a warning, then. Hopeful, he bellied forward again, then rolled closer, whining a plea.

The growling continued, but it was soft, barely vocalized, and the scruff had definitely gone down. The wolf seemed more curious than filled with fury now, and he took it as a good sign, inching forward until his nose again touched the grate. Trying to convey 'trust me' and 'help you' all at the same time. The growling sharpened a little, but there wasn't a second swipe.

Taking a closer look at the cage, he realized that it was easy to open, easier by far than the ones he'd been trapped in more than once, hunted during his life on the street. Moving slowly, he crept to his knees and nudged the pin loose. When it was gone, the wolf barreled out, knocking him aside. Rolling to his feet was easy enough, but finding himself confronted with a bristled and snarling wolf was not.

Crouching down in submission, he waited for the wolf to make its move. There was no way that he could win a battle with the wild creature; truthfully, he didn't want to. He knew they were connected, hoped that they were fit to be mates, that he was worthy enough, though that didn't seem possible.

Snapping and growling, the wolf circled him, coming ever closer with each menacing pass. When the nose sniffed his cock, he let out a startled yelp and flinched. The wolf swatted him lightly on the flank, then pressed down, holding him still to complete the examination. His heart quickened, as did his breath when a tongue slowly licked him up. Then the nose intruded into his ass, nuzzling softly, as if asking permission.

Panting now, he looked over his shoulder and whined his eagerness.

* * * *

At the first moan, Blair stopped chanting and opened his eyes. When Adam rolled suddenly on top of Brennan, he got to his feet and quickly left the bedroom, firmly closing the door behind him.

"Everything all right?"

Blair chuckled shakily and answered with barely a voice, "Oh yeah. Uh, I think we can just give them some privacy now. Everything else should work itself out."

Jim's mouth dropped open a bit as a distinctly wolf-like howl escaped the bedroom and he cleared his throat. "Oh, okay. Let's get you into bed where you belong."

Leaning against his lover, Blair sighed deeply, agreeing, "Sounds like a plan to me."

* * * *

Brennan suddenly realized that the mouth on his cock wasn't an illusion or a dream and he moaned in pleasure. Please, please let it be Adam, he thought, afraid to open his eyes.

"Brennan."

The heartfelt whisper, more a breathing of his name, confirmed the identity and Brennan's eyes flew open. Adam was between his legs, staring up at him with wondering eyes. Reaching out, Brennan took Adam's hand and drew him up, pulling the smaller man into his arms and rolling them so that he was on top and could kiss as long and deep as he wanted.

Adam's hips started moving, sliding their cocks together through slippery pre-come and sweat and spit. Moaning again, Brennan straddled his lover and balanced above him for better movement, keeping their mouths sealed tight. He knew he wasn't going to last, could feel the heat and need surging through his entire body to tighten in his balls and further harden his cock.

Adam thrust against him urgently, grunting with each motion, and Brennan grew even hotter, sensing the other man was close. Sucking on Adam's tongue, Brennan devoured all the love that Adam was offering him on a silver platter. Hot come spurted against him, coating his abdomen as Adam groaned long into his mouth, provoking Brennan's orgasm and tearing his heart out all at once.

Overwhelmed, Brennan collapsed onto his lover and started crying weakly, burying his face against the hollow of Adam's musky, sweaty throat. All the fear, distrust, need, love, every bit of pain from the rapes, and a lifetime of loneliness, all of it seemed determined to leak out of him with every hot tear.

Through it all, Adam was there, holding and comforting him; loving him.

* * * *

When Brennan finally calmed down enough to sleep, Adam drifted into a strangely content state that wasn't quite awake and wasn't quite asleep. He remembered the torture, remember the pale woman and her instruments of pain, but couldn't quite remember the actual pain. It was a protective form of dissociation, he knew, and one that would eventually need to be worked through.

For now, though, holding the heavy body covering him went a long way to healing him.

* * * *

Brennan woke warm and comfortable and wrapped in Adam's arms, exactly where he'd been dreaming he was. Kissing the lightly haired chest beneath him, he sighed in deep contentment.

"Morning," Adam murmured.

Lifting his head to meet Adam's dark gaze, Brennan just stared at him for a long moment then murmured, "Morning."

Adam kissed the top of his head and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Wry, Brennan countered, "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"I'm fine for now," Adam replied, arms tightening briefly. "Are you...okay with what happened?"

Honestly thinking about it, Brennan gave him a slow nod. "Yeah. I still don't know, ah, how much I'll be able to do with you, though."

"That doesn't matter. This is more than I ever dreamed of."

The love blanketing the soft statement told Brennan just how truthful Adam was being and he snuggled closer.

"I do have one question, though."

Chuckling to himself, Brennan's fingers drifted lightly over Adam's chest as he teased, "Just one?"

"Well, okay," Adam allowed with a grin. "A lot of questions. But one that stands out at the moment."

"What's that?"

"Why do I feel like I should be licking you, instead of kissing you?"

* * * *

Jesse eyed Shalimar's impatient pacing with an inward grin, knowing that if she saw even the hint of one, he'd be in a world of pain. Emma glanced his way, looking up from her magazine and their eyes met in shared amusement.

"I saw that."

Glancing innocently at Shalimar, Emma asked, "Saw what?"

"That look."

"There was no look, Shal. See? Reading," Emma said, holding up the magazine.

Shalimar's gaze narrowed, but she returned to her pacing. Then she stopped abruptly and whirled in place, rushing forward to help Brennan bring Adam the rest of the way into the common room. They settled him on the couch between Jesse and Emma, Shalimar taking a spot on the coffee so she could keep hold of Adam's hand. Emma's chin rested on Adam's shoulder and Jesse couldn't help but touch Adam's arm to make sure he was real as well.

"I'm fine," Adam insisted with a smile that included everyone. "Now."

Jesse thought that everyone was about to bust a gut with happiness as large grins were traded all around. His unfortunate streak of mischief demanded attention and he glanced wickedly at Brennan before asking, "So where are you two registering?"

Brennan made a grab for him, growling playfully, but Jesse phased and it when right through him. Everyone else laughed and it seemed that things were finally back to normal.

* * * *

"Blair?"

Surprised that Adam would be out of bed so soon, Blair motioned the other man in, getting to his feet and offering Adam his chair. "It's your office, man, come on in."

Smiling faintly, Adam said, "I told you you'd make me obsolete."

"Not a chance," Blair replied firmly.

Adam waved Blair back into sitting down. "I won't be long. Just walking this far has me shaky."

"What's wrong?"

Adam hastened to assure him, "Nothing's wrong. Just...how did you managed the shared consciousness? And why was everything done in spirit animals? It's not a belief that I subscribe to."

Blair grinned. "That's a long conversation that you're probably not ready for. Suffice to say that given enough motivation, the human mind can accomplish amazing things. In your subconscious, you knew Brennan was there, that he was holding you and begging you to come back. All you needed was a way back. I gave you that."

"But..." Adam paused, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't understand."

"That's okay, Adam. You don't have to. All that matters is that it worked."

Sighing, Adam nodded with reluctance.

"You should get back to bed before you fall down," Blair suggested, still smiling.

Adam nodded again and left the office, exchanging a hello with Jim as the other man entered.

Getting to his feet, Blair met Jim halfway and wrapped his arms around his lover's waist, hauling him in for a long, luxurious kiss. When he pulled back, he noticed the shine to the pale blue eyes regarding him and asked, "What?"

"Are you ever going to tell him the truth of what happened?" Jim asked, succumbing to the grin trying to get free.

Snorting, Blair replied, "Right. Can you see me telling Adam, of all people, that I'm a Shaman and have magic as well as psychic powers? Yeah. He'll really go for that."

Tightening his hold, Jim kissed the top of Blair's head and said, "Hey, it only took me a couple of years, and he's way smarter than I am."

Blair chuckled. "Yeah, but he's also way more logical that you are. Don't worry, I will tell him about it...eventually."

* * * *

A few days later, everyone gathered in front of the dojo. Adam was mostly recovered, but Brennan stayed close to him, just in case. Smiling briefly at his lover, Adam looked at Blair and Jim and held out a slim, leather box to each man. "These are the symbols of our commitment, to each other and those we protect. Wearing them means you're part of the family, and we sincerely hope that you choose to do so. On a more practical note, as you know, they are communicators and keyed to your specific DNA so that they won't work if anyone else wears them."

Jim looked down at the ring, then at Blair. It was also a symbol of their new life, of leaving everything and everyone behind. He knew they were already part of the team, that this is exactly what they would have chosen, even under better circumstances.

Blair smiled at him and slipped his ring on.

Jim did the same and said, "We're honored, Adam. Thanks."

Relieved laughter echoed from the others and Adam stepped forward, smiling broadly, and holding out his hand. "Welcome to MutantX."

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Created on ... April 29, 2003