Feline, Electric Heat

Chapter 3



"Hey, " Emma said as she took a seat next to Brennan at their table.



"Hey, " he said in return.



"You don't seem to be having any fun, " she observed. "Worried about Shal?" she said more than asked. When he didn't say anything she sighed. "You can talk to me Brennan you know that."



That made him look at her. He loved Emma deLauro like the sister he never had. Hell she was the sister he never had. "She's making me crazy Emma, " he confessed desperately.



If he hadn't had such a lost look on his face she would have laughed at him. "What happened?" she asked carefully.



"I know she's had a hard time controlling her feral side since we all mutated, but I don't know how much more I can take without..." he stopped abruptly and took another drink of his beer.



"You bring out the wilder side of her Brennan. You're the first non-feral to do that and it scares her, " Emma tried to explain to him. "Shalimar cares for you a great deal and she doesn't want to loose your friendship anymore than you want to loose hers. Right now she needs your understanding and support not your sympathies...that's the last thing she needs, or wants."



"So what am I supposed to do?" he ran his hand through his hair.



Emma shrugged, "Be there for her."



He nodded at her and took another drink of his beer.



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Shalimar walked around Sanctuary. Adam had already turned in for the night and so had she until she couldn't rest to even get to sleep. So she decided to walk around hoping to exert her spare energy somehow other than molesting Brennan.



She rolled her eyes and sighed as she thought of Brennan. He was making her crazy in more ways than one. He could walk into a room and the air would thicken with his scent. Her skin would crawl and tingle for hours after he had already left her presence. Something had to be done before it was too late. Before she ruined a great friendship with a man she cared deeply for. She stopped and leaned over the railing that overlooked the commons area of the team's home.



"What am I gonna do?" she asked out loud to herself.



She perked up when she heard the all too familiar sound of Brennan's Mustang pull up in the garage. She jumped over the railing and landed solidly on the floor and headed towards the gang. 'I hope Brennan isn't drunk off his ass I really want to talk with him' she thought as she opened the door.



"Come on Emma we're home, " Jesse said as he lifted the passenger front seat up so she could get out of the car.



"Oh thank God, " she mumbled as she stumbled out of the back seat. "I think I'm gonna need some help to my room." saidsaid as she clung to Jesse's jacket.



Jesse chuckled, "I'll get you to your roome ome on."



"You okay Emma?" Shalimar asked with a bit of humor in her voice unsure of Emma's mental state.



Emma looked up into her friends eyes, "I made the biggest mistake of my life. I tried to drink Brennan under the table. We had beers then we switched to liquor..."



"...okay enough you need to get to bed, " Brennan cut her off as he patted a still smiling Jesse on the back to get her to her room.



"Goodnight guys, " Emma called over her shoulder.



Shalimar waved as she laughed lightly then turned back to Brennan. 'He doesn't seem to wasted' she thought. "I'm guessing you won the contest." She mentioned.
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He scratched his head, "Yeah, she uh threw up all over the table and if I didn't have such quick reflexes I would have it all over me as well."



Shalimar cringed at the thought.



"You seemed to be feeling better, " he said casually.



She nodded, "Yeah, I guess being back in my normal surroundings helped a little." She fiddled with her hands a little as nervousness set in. "Brennan we need to talk." She blurted.



"About what?" he asked.



"Earlier tonight, " she started. "I shouldn't have done that. Or any other time it's happened. You're one of my best friends and I don't want anything to get in the way of that, especially because I couldn't keep my hands off you."



"Shal it's okay I understand, " he coaxed. "I know you're having a little trouble getting used to the extra sensory perception and it will take time."



She shook her head, "It's doesn't make it right Brennan. You're not something to be used and tossed to the side like a piece of meat I don't look at you like that."



"How do you look at me then?" he asked. 'Wow, I had more than I thought to drink' he thought.



She just stared at him for a moment unable to answer such an honest question. "You want my honest answer or the one you should here in a situation like this?" she asked trying to lighten the mood.



He took a step closer in her personal space, "What do you want?"



"I want you Brennan but not like that, " she said the words so naturally like she said them everyday and meant them.



He leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek. "I can wait, " he whispered against her cheek then turned and walked away leaving her to her own thoughts about what they just said to one another. She stood in awe as he stalked away. 'Did he just say what I think he said' she asked herself mentally. She reached up and touched the cheek he kissed and smiled.



"Thank you Brennan, " she whispered to the empty room with tear filled eyes as she made her way back to her bedroom to dream pleasant dreams of him.



To Be Continued...