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Shalimar lightly tapped Brennan on the shoulder causing him to jump. "You're in love with her." It wasn't a question but a flat statement.

"No." His reply was as flat.

"If you want to keep lying to yourself that is fine with me. But at least don't kill yourself over it."

"You're wrong."

"Why are you so afraid to love her?"

Brennan looked at Shalimar, willing her to drop the subject.

"I don't love her Shal. I have been in love before. This does not feel anything like love. I told Edward this, you don't hurt the people you love. And I hurt Emma; I hurt her today. You saw the way she ran out of my room. She couldn't even bare to by in the same room with me for 5 minutes. All she could think of was running back to Edward. Now she's in her room getting ready for HIM." Brennan almost spat out the last word.

"If you're not in love, you're doing a very good impression of a love-sick fool. A desperately jealous, utterly in love - fool."

Brennan glared at Shalimar; he didn't want to hear this. He couldn't hear this. He couldn't!

"This is not love Shalimar. It's some sort of sickness. Love is not meant to be like this. It's not meant to cause all this pain and confusion."

"But it is meant to cause yearning and desire and I see that in your face when you look at her."

"Desire?! God Shalimar, I don't think of Emma like that. She's not . . ." Brennan stopped, how was he going to explain?

"Not what Brennan? Not attractive? Not beautiful? You're actually telling me that you don't think Emma is beautiful?! How stupid do you think I am?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that. Yes, she is beautiful . . ." Emma's face swam across Brennan's mind's eye. "She's angelic. She's the most innocent, most pure creature I have ever met in my life. She is . . . she is too good for me."

"What kind of stupid statement is that?!" Shalimar had the desperate urge to knock some sense into Brennan's head - literally.

"Emma's a living, breathing woman. Not some stupid statue that you stick on some pedestal and forcibly keep there."

"I don't do that. I . . ."

"You just refuse to admit that you love her. God Brennan, how blind can you be?"

Brennan recoiled at the anger in Shalimar's voice. He just couldn't seem to do anything right. First, he had hurt Emma, and now he had made Shalimar mad at him.

"Shalimar, please. It's not like that. What I feel for Emma is very different. It is . . . I have never felt anything like this before. If it were love, I would have known."

"Yes, after all you are the experienced lady's man here. Obviously, you would recognize love. How could I have been so stupid?!" Shalimar shrugged her shoulders. "Just because you don't see Emma in the same light as all your other girlfriends is a CLEAR indication that you are not in love with her!"

Shalimar by now had completely lost her temper. She was fed up with both her 'friends' circling around the truth as if it were a poisonous snake.

"But you know something Brennan? Maybe, just maybe, what you had with ALL these other women was not love. Maybe, lets go out on a limb here, what you feel for Emma, is love. Have you considered that?" Shalimar emphasised her point by poking him in the chest - hard - causing him to retreat slightly.

"Damn it Shalimar! Stop it." Brennan caught the offending finger in a tight grip. "I am going to repeat this for the last time. For whatever reason I have never thought of Emma as more than a friend. Hell, I am not even physically attracted to her. I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH HER."

"Well, then Brennan, you are the biggest fool I have ever known." Shalimar effortlessly freed her hand from Brennan's grasp and stormed off, leaving a fuming Brennan alone in his room.

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Emma violently ran the brush through the hair. She was going to have fun tonight, no matter what Brennan did. She would show him. She would show them all!

Emma slammed the brush down on the dresser, wishing with all her might that it were Brennan so that she could break him into little pieces. *~How dare he be with Shalimar? ~*

Emma walked to her closet and yanked the door open - almost off its hinges. She took a dress out, a lovely white flowery print. She looked at it *~ How dare he hold someone else in his arms? ~*

She threw the dress on the bed, yanking something randomly from the closet. It was a satin green two-piece. *~ How dare he look at me like that? ~*

That dress landed on the bed, only to be followed by three more. *~ How dare he make me feel like I am losing my mind?! ~*

Emma dug into the back of her closet, and her hand closed over a dress she had not seen for a long time. It was a small, slip of a dress, more daring than the things she usually wore. *~ I am going to kill him. ~*

Emma held the dress up to her body; it barely managed to come mid-thigh. The neckline was a daring V - not too revealing but enough to make a man keep looking. *~ I am going to make him suffer. ~*

The back was a pattern of criss-cross ribbons, forming an intriguing pattern of flesh halfway across the back. The rest of the dress gently curved over the swell of her hips. Emma smiled, *~ I am going to kill him - slowly. ~*

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Shalimar stormed into her room, not caring if she had almost knocked Jesse on her way. She was so angry that she was almost spitting.

How could Brennan be so blind? How could Emma not realise what was going on?

Shalimar changed for the evening, wishing to God that she hadn't made this stupid suggestion in the first place. How could she not have noticed before?

Shalimar sat down on her bed, remembering Brennan's face as he had looked at Emma. Shalimar would have given anything for someone to look at her like that. Shalimar shook her head.

*~ Not in love with her! Not attracted to her! Hah! And I am a canine! Fool! ~*

Shalimar knew that Brennan was in love with Emma not matter how much he denied it. No man could look at a woman with such hunger and not be in love with her. Brennan was a fool because he didn't realise what a precious thing he had. Shalimar sighed - again - that was all she seemed to be doing these days. Brennan was hell bent on denying everything - he couldn't even admit to the obvious need between him and Emma.

*~ God Brennan, if you can't even admit that you are captivated by her, how will you ever accept the deeper . . . connection . . . link you two share. Most of us would kill to have a bond like you have with Emma. And all you can do it push her away. I never thought you would be such a coward. ~*

Of course, Emma was no better. She did her fair share of pushing too, Shalimar was sure of that. Shalimar sighed, she was greatly tempted to take the two mutants together and bang their heads together.

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Jesse was confused; first Brennan and now Shalimar. What was with everyone's temper? Brennan had almost fried him in the morning and now Shalimar had almost knocked him unconscious. If he was not careful, he was going to end up seriously injured.

At least, Brennan he understood. Men desperately in love are bound to do stupid things, like threaten their best friends. It was all part and parcel of the insanity they called love. But Shalimar . . .? She had gone over the edge.

No wonder, with all the tension in the air these days. He wondered, why someone as sensitive as Shalimar had not cracked before.

Jesse sighed and went in to tell Adam that they were going out for the evening.

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Edward was having a hard time stopping himself from laughing. Anymore of this comedy of errors and he was going to die laughing - that is if he didn't drown in his tears first.

He exhaled, *~ I've got a psionic in love but not willing to accept. I've got an elemental with a short fuse, (whose going to kill me if I am not more careful around Emma). And now I have an irate feral. God help me. Let me please survive this night in one piece. ~*

*~ Mentally as well as physically. ~*

Edward sighed and continued trying to block out the Mutant X members. He could sense Jesse's confusion and Emma's towering rage. In her room, he felt Shalimar's loneliness and realisation that she couldn't make this problem disappear with a few quick punches.

And probably most dangerous for him, he could feel Brennan's hate and denial. Edward reminded himself to be on his guard. The mood Brennan was in, Edward was likely to find himself as the main course tonight if he was not careful. Char grilled if not burned to a crisp.

This was going to be a long night.

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*~ I am not in love with her. I am not in love with her. ~* Brennan kept chanting this to himself.

He refused to think about what Shalimar has said; she didn't know what she was talking about. He had not survived as a thief for so long by being so unaware. He was not so stupid to let love sneak up on him. Shalimar was wrong, *~ She has to be. ~*

Brennan remembered Emma's words. *~ "Edward will be waiting. Don't want to keep him waiting." ~* Edward.

A small of electricity formed in Brennan's palm. *~ I am going to kill him. ~*

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I must say this chapter was a very satisfying to write. Brennan finally got the dressing down he deserved, and I felt that it was only fair to let Shalimar have her moment of glory. She's quite good at being angry, no?

Now, only if Brennan would listen to people. *Shrugs* Will have to try even harder next time;)

Wait till you see what I have planned for the poor boy. *rubs hands in anticipation*

Thank you for all your lovely reviews, but I am wondering if anyone had any criticisms of the plot/ writing style. Anything? If not, I am more than flattered.

PS. I am still wondering about how to post reviews. PLEASE HELP ME SOMEONE, anyone?

(Author drowns in the indifferent silence) ;)