Thank you fro all the reviews, I am trying to keep all the different responses in mind. I did make an adjustment in the font. I hope this is easier to read. As for Emma's powers . . . ah, well I know I am taking certain liberties with her. Maybe the 'overloading' caused her powers to become sort of telepathic? Sound plausible? As for the couple, I could make it go either way so please keep sending in the reviews. I do have a question, a little philosophical but please bear with me . . . What is your concept of love? Can 2 people share an intense connection and still only be friends? Trust me, your answers will help the story.

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Brennan stood silently in the shadow, arms folded across the chest. He didn't know how long he had been standing there, watching Emma sleep. She looked so peaceful and comfortable. Almost like the old, cheerful Emma he knew. In sleep her delicate faced looked young and vulnerable. Her hair, slightly falling on her face, just highlighted the porcelain quality of her skin. *~ My Emma. Back to normal. ~*

If he didn't look too intimately at her, he could almost believe that lie. All he had to do was avoid looking at her foetal posture, avoid looking at the dark circles under her eyes. All he had to do was avoid noticing how tired and withdrawn she seemed in the few rare instances that he saw her. Simple!

Brennan moved a little nearer to the couch, not too close but close enough to get a better look at the sleeping girl. She looked a little more drawn than usual, if that was possible. Under his intense scrutiny, Emma stirred a little. With a little sob, she turned without waking up, effectively hiding her face from Brennan's view. Maybe, just maybe he should wake her to see if she was all right?!

*~ No!!! NO! I'll have to talk to her! I'll have to look at her . . . ~* He would have to look into those blue eyes and see the pain she tried so unsuccessfully to hide. He couldn't handle that. He didn't understand why this should be so, but he couldn't deal with Emma's pain. He should take a page from the rest of the team and be there for her, be a friend in her hour of need. Nevertheless, he couldn't - maybe that made him a coward, but whatever was happening to Emma was hurting him too. And he didn't like it, not one bit.

Sometimes, he got up in the morning and thought that everything was okay; today everything would get back to normal. Then Emma would not show up for breakfast and everyone would pretend that she was just sleeping in. The forced smiles, the phoney laughter grated on Brennan's nerves. No one talked about Emma for the rest of the day, dancing around the subject as if it was a nervous bull. No one talked directly to her either, preferring to give her 'time' *~ One more day like that and I will go crazy. ~* And despite his frustration with the situation he did nothing.

All he did, all he could do, was to avoid her. He was glad when she started staying up late in the night. *~ Yes I AM glad. I don't have to be around her. She can handle it on her own. It's for the best. ~* Despite the avowal, sometimes he found himself matching her waking patterns, *~ Just to make sure that she was safe. ~* Like today. And if he was lucky, he could look his fill without disturbing her. Like today.

Brennan moved even closer, now right next to the couch. She looked so serene, so oblivious to the world. He just stood there looking at her, not understanding why he felt this need to be here, as well as this fear of being close to her. She made him feel helpless, she made him feel worthless. Despite all of that, despite the anger he felt at her, for now he was happy just standing there, looking at her. For a moment, he could even ignore that sense of loss that was with him seemingly permanently.

As if sensing the peace around her, Emma slowly woke up. For a minute, it didn't register to her that Brennan was standing on top of her. Still a bit groggy from her nap, she smiled up him, running her fingers through her hair to get them in some semblance of order.

Brennan looked down at her, willing that small smile to grow. *~ You have such a beautiful smile. So unlike Shalimar's but still so beautiful. ~*

"Get away from me!" Emma spat out at him. How could he compare her to Shalimar? How could he hurt her so much? She jumped up from the couch and tried to shoulder herself past Brennan, but he did not move.

"G-E-T O-U-T OF M-Y WAY!" Emma almost screamed. Brennan recoiled at the violence in her voice but failed to notice the hurt behind it. His anger rose to match hers. How dare she speak to him like that? She had no right.

Emma shook her head, Brennan's anger slicing through her defences like a hot knife. She had to get out of here. She tried to move past Brennan again, but this time he caught her arm, successfully pinning her to the spot she stood on.

"What is wrong with you? Why are you behaving like this?" *~Why are you behaving like a bitch?! ~*

"Let go of my arm. I don't want to talk to you." Emma tried to free her arm

"Well, you're going to anyway. How long do you except to mope around and expect us to take it?" Brennan tightened his grip on her arm. He was going to have it out with her, now, and damn the consequences.

"I am not moping. You just don't understand." Emma was getting frantic now; she could feel her losing control of her powers.

"Then make me 'understand'. Why are you doing this to all of us?" *~ Why are you doing this to me? Don't you care about what happens to me anymore? ~*

"Brennan . . . please. You're hurting me." Emma whispered. She managed to restrain herself from saying anymore, but the damage was done. Brennan felt sick, he let go of her arm but she made no move to leave him. He had no doubt that Emma was telling the truth, and she meant more than her arm.

He looked at Emma, not sure how to continue. He wanted to tell her he was sorry, but for what he didn't know. He realized that he would apologise for anything, no matter if it was his fault or not, as long as it made Emma feel better.

Whereas Brennan's anger had fuelled her, his sympathy, and concern were her undoing. His anger she could handle, she could use it to shield herself. But this soft, caring Brennan she could not ignore. She was drowning in him and she couldn't stop herself.

Brennan watched in horror as first one tear slid down her cheek only to be followed by another. He gently brushed those tears off her face, shocked at what he had done to her. She shuddered at his touch; she couldn't take it anymore. Without another word, she ran towards her room.

Brennan heard the door shut, leaving him alone. He looked down at his fingers; Emma's tears still nestled in his palm. They burned him, and he didn't understand why.

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As the door closed behind Emma, she let her knees give way and slid onto the floor. She could still feel Brennan standing there; she could still feel his pain and helplessness. *~ I didn't mean to hurt you Brennan. I am sorry. Please forgive me, please forgive me, please . . . ~* Emma chanted to herself.

Why didn't he hate her? Why didn't he get angry with her? Those emotions she could eventually deal with, this caring Brennan on the other hand would destroy her.

She curled up, digging her knees into her stomach as if physical pain would stop the mental anguish. She slowly rocked herself back and forth, trying to forget what had happened, trying to rebuild the walls she had tried so hard to construct. Tears fell unheeded from her eyes, everything was becoming hazy, but Emma didn't bother to wipe them away. They were her penance for the distress she had caused. Brennan was right; she was being selfish. She had hurt the very people she loved most in the world. She had pushed Brennan away when all he had tried to do was help her. She had hurt him! She was a bitch.

As Brennan's despair slammed into her, again, and again, and then once more for good measure, Emma arched her back and silently screamed. Her body couldn't take much more of this punishment. Neither could Emma break the union they shared. She had tried, and thought she had succeeded. She deluded herself into thinking that she was better; if she wanted to, she could keep unwanted sensations out of her mind. Tonight had proved how wrong she was. A few minutes with Brennan had stripped her bare. Unknowingly he tore into all her defenceless, leaving behind a pitiful ruin. Why was it so easy for him? Why did he get past her barriers like they didn't exist? *~ WHY? Why with you Brennan? ~*

This thought kept playing in her mind as Emma tried to salvage something, anything that Brennan might have left. Deep into the night that thought kept playing through her mind.

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