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A Matter of Honor	By : purenightshade Category: M through R > Mutant X Views: 1579 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Mutant X, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Title: A matter of Honor

Author/pseudonym: Nightshade

Author websites: http://www.angelfire.com/anime/makosmusings

Characters: Adam, Jesse

Rating: The ratings vary from chapter to chapter, but it�s intended to be NC-17

Pairing: Non-shipper, non-slash, involves original characters

Status: incomplete

Series/Sequel: series

Spoilers: As of yet, no spoilers

Disclaimers: All Mutant X characters are copyright to their respective owners. Honor and Claudia are my original characters and should not be taken or used without my permission.

Summary:A New Mutant�s powers start to evolve out of control and it�s up to Adam and the team to help put them back under control. An old friend of Adam�s returns to haunt him.

Send all comments to nightshade@catlover.com
Episode 16: Dinner
When Adam and Claudia got back to the house, it was almost dark. Claudia has taken off her scarf and out it in her pocket before entering the house. Adam was instantly surrounded by his teammates who asked several questions all at once. Seeing this scene, Claudia burst out laughing, startling them all.

�I�m sorry. This is just so bizarre!�

�It�s good to hear you laugh,� Honor said with a relieved smile. �Where�d you go anyways?�

�Back to Sanctuary,� she replied. �Some of my things were there.�

Brennan gave her an odd look. �You didn�t bring anything with you to Sanctuary.�

�Relax, Brennan,� Adam told him calmly. �She didn�t hurt me or anything.�

�We�re just glad to see you in one piece,� Shalimar said.

�Thanks for your concern, but it�s not necessary,� Adam said.

�So, you�re not trying to kill him anymore?� Emma asked Claudia.

The older woman shrugged. �Not really, no.�

Adam gave her a strange look. �What do you mean, not really?�

�Not trying to kill you, but I still have some revenge to get. I�d hoped you�d forgotten about those damned ticklish spots.�

He blanched. �I�d rather have you trying to kill me. It�d be less painful than vengeance. Or less humiliating.�

�Would I do that?� She fluttered her eye lashes up at him.

�Yes, you would.� He poked her shoulder. �I�ve been on the receiving end of it more times than I care to think about.�

A loud growl interrupted their exchange. All eyes turned to focus on Jesse, who blushed furiously. �Sorry,� he apologized sheepishly.

�Don�t worry about it. Are you all hungry, or is it just Jesse?� Claudia asked.

The others nodded. �It�s been a while since breakfast,� Brennan told her.

�Right. I�ll see what I can do.�

�You cook?� Emma looked surprised.

Claudia made a face. �Of course I cook. You didn�t think that I was entirely reliant on the household help, did you?�

�I�ll vouch for her, Emma,� Adam said enthusiastically. �She�s very good.�

�And you�re very lousy,� she countered.

�I�ve learned a few things in thirty years, Claudia,� he grumped. �I�m not completely hopeless.�

�No, just mostly.� She shook her head. �If you need me, I�ll be in the kitchen. I don�t want to see anyone in there until I�m done,� she said heading off.

�Kind of bossy, isn�t she?� Shalimar observed.

�It�s worth it, trust me,� Adam told her. �She knows exactly what she�s doing.�

Honor stretched. �If no one minds, I�m going to head upstairs and have a shower and get some practice in. It�s been a few days and I�m way behind.�

�Practice?� Emma looked puzzled.

�Flute,� Honor explained. �I have a rehearsal in a couple days and it won�t do me any good if I haven�t even looked at my music.�

�You�re a musician?� Brennan asked.

�Oh, don�t look so shocked, Brennan,� she scolded. �A girl�s got to have a hobby after all.�

�She plays with the symphony,� Jesse added proudly.

�That�s so cool! Let us know when you have a performance and we�ll come watch,� Emma said.

Honor blushed. �Honestly, I�m not that good.�

�Let us decide that for ourselves.�

�Right. Anyways, I�m off. The TV is in the living room. Feel free to watch or so whatever you like. Just avoid the kitchen and my room for the next bit.� At Jesse�s semi-hurt look, she explained. �I don�t really like having people around while I�m practicing. It�s distracting.�

�Oh. Ok. I understand.�

The hurt look didn�t go away, so she pulled him aside. �Look, Jesse, this goes for everyone. The only time I can have people around when I�m practicing is when I�m in rehearsal with the rest of the symphony. And if you think regular people are a distraction, what would it do to my concentration if I had you in he room with me? I�d get nothing done, nothing musical at any rate.�

He smiled a little. �I think I can handle that. I just want to hear you play.�

She cupped his face in her hands. �You�ll get your chance, trust me, but for now I have a lot of catching up to do.�

�It�s only been a few days.�

�And my embouchure is probably crap now. You have no idea how much can be lost by missing even one day of practice. It�ll likely take me all week to get it back.�

�I feel a little guilty about that.�

�Don�t. It wasn�t your fault. I�m the idiot who decided it was a good idea to go shopping.�

�If you hadn�t, I might never have met you and Adam might never have known that Claudia was still alive.�

�There are good and bad things that have happened as a result of my decision,� she reminded him.

�I hope I�m one of those good things,� he said smiling.

�You know you are. Now, I have to get going on this. I�ll see you at dinner, ok?�

He hesitated before giving her a quick kiss. �Good luck with your practice.�

�Thank you,� she said smiling. She rubbed his cheek gently before heading up the stairs to her room.

Jesse turned around to see the amused looks his teammates were giving him. �What?�

�You two are so cute together!� Emma exclaimed.

�What was that about, anyways?� Brennan asked.

Jesse blushed. �None of your business.� He looked at Shalimar. �Don�t you go telling them, either. I know you and your feral hearing.�

She gave him an innocent look. �I didn�t plan on it.�

�Why don�t we go see what�s on TV?� Adam suggested.

Brennan, Emma and Shalimar took off for the living room, with Adam and Jesse trailing behind them.

�Thanks, Adam,� Jesse said.

�No problem. I�m just glad that no one�s interrogating me regarding Claudia. I figured that I should spare you some of their jibes.�

�I appreciate it.�
An hour later, Claudia called them all into the dinning room. As Jesse walked past her, she gave him a strange look, but said nothing. They all sat down around the table. Jesse glared at anyone who tried to sit in the empty chair beside him. When they moved away, he�d glance anxiously over at the door. Honor was late.

�Don�t worry about it Jesse,� Claudia told him. �She�s often late for dinner if she�s been practicing. She just gets so wrapped up in it that she looses all track of time.�

�This is normal then?�

�Quite. Feel free to dig in.�

They all helped themselves to generous helpings of salad, slices of garlic bread, and piles of spaghetti and dug in. Jesse, however, poked at his food, glancing up at the door.

�Don�t worry about her. Eventually her stomach will remember about food and she�ll come flying down those stairs.� Claudia passed the parmesan cheese over to Brennan, trading it for the plate of bread.

As if on cue, there was a loud thump followed by the sound of someone running down the stairs, and a crash. They all looked up at the doorway to see Honor walk into the room and sit down in the chair beside Jesse. Without saying a word to anyone, she dished herself up a large plate of spaghetti and started eating.

�Like so,� added Claudia.

Honor looked up, a noodle sticking out of her mouth. She blinked and looked around. She blushed and swallowed. �Sorry. I�m a little hungry.�

�That�s what happens when you practice for an hour non-stop,� she reminded her young friend. �I�ve told you about this numerous times.�

�Right, and this stops you from doing the same with the piano�how?�

Claudia looked at her calmly and said, �I�m older than you and know my limits better.�

Honor snorted derisively. �Like hell you do.� The others chuckled and turned back to their food.

�Feel free to have seconds,� Claudia told them, ignoring Honor�s reply. �I think I made too much.�

�You learned from your mother; of course you made too much food,� Adam commented.

Claudia raised her fork menacingly. �What�s that supposed to mean?�

He did his best to look innocent. �Oh, nothing.�

She made a face at him. �Mom never made that much food.�

�Oh no? Then how come there were always containers of leftovers in your fridge?�

�Those were dad�s lunches.�

�Sure they were.�

Emma stared at them. �I�m glad Adam told us beforehand that you used to be friends. Otherwise, this would be a bit of a shock. I�ve never seen him talk to anyone like this before.�

�Is this really that much of a shock?� Adam asked her.

�Well, yes,� Shalimar admitted. �It was one thing when she was trying to kill you. We�ve seen that before, but this is something else entirely.�

�Let�s face it, Adam,� Brennan continued. �We don�t really know all that much about you and your past.�

�So, needless to say, this is a little odd for us,� Emma finished.

�You haven�t told them about yourself?� Claudia asked him, surprised. �How can you work with a group of people for as long as you have and still keep most of your life a secret?�

�It�s surprisingly easy and quite necessary,� he replied, shrugging. �There are a lot of things in my past that I�m not proud of and a lot of things that are really painful. You, for example.�

She nodded thoughtfully while nibbling on the corner of a slice of garlic toast. �I see your point. There�s a large portion of your life that I know nothing about and yet I understand.�

�I�m not sure if I should be relieved or offended by that.�

�Go with relieved,� she suggested. �Less stressful that way.�

He gave her an odd look before shaking his head. �You�re probably right about that.�

Brennan set his fork down on the table and leaned back in his chair. �That was really good.� Emma, Jesse, and Shalimar nodded in agreement.

�I honestly can�t eat any more,� Emma added.

�Mouth says yes, but stomach says no.� Jesse put his hands over his stomach.

�Do you need any help cleaning up?� Emma asked Claudia.

�Not really, no,� she said, standing up. �Just stack your dishes and I�ll take care of the rest.�

�He who cooks, cleans,� Adam said, smiling.

Claudia punched him in the shoulder. �That might have been the rule around your house, but not mine. I�m just being nice, for once.�

�We�re not complaining, just offering to help. Seeing as you don�t want it, is there anything else we can do?�

�Not really, no. Just kick back and relax.� Claudia stood up, gathered up the plates and took them into the kitchen.
Claudia was setting the plates and cutlery down in the sink when Adam walked in with the bread basket balanced on top of the spaghetti pot in one arm and the sauce pot in the other. She watched him as he set the sauce pot down on the left front burner of the stove before putting the spaghetti pot down on the other. He took the basket off and set it down on the counter before turning to Claudia.

�I know you said to just relax, but I wanted to help. I feel guilty for everything that�s happened to you in the last thirty years. I know I had nothing to do with it, but it�s how I acted at the party that was, at least in part. I also wanted to ask you something.�

�What�s that?�

He took a step towards her, holding up his left hand. �You tossed this at me and told me to put it on. I wanted to ask you this on the way back here, but you were in a hurry to get back and I remember what you�re like when driving. Does this mean we�re friends again?�

�Why else would I have done it?� she asked, leaning back on the counter.

�Oh, I don�t know. You could be toying with me.�

�Before today, that might have been the case, but I can�t ignore what�s been said today. I told you, other than you not sharing your feelings with me, I have no reason to hate you or play with your mind like that.�

�So we are friends again?�

�You surprise me, Adam. I thought that was blatantly clear.�

He rushed forward and grabbed her up into a big hug. �I�m so glad to hear you say that,� he said into her ear.

She swatted at him. �Let me go, you big oaf!�

Obediently, he let go. �It�s good to have you back, Claudia. I�ve missed you.�

�I wish I could say the same, but you know.�

�I understand. So, need a hand?�

�You�re here so you might as well. If you could finish clearing the table while I get the leftovers put away.� He nodded and headed back to the dinning room, leaving Claudia alone once again.

She looked at the door for a moment before turning back to the sink. She put the plug in and let it fill with hot, soapy water while putting the leftovers into containers. That done, she picked up a sponge and started on the task of washing the dishes. She was so intent was she on the task at hand that she didn�t hear Adam come back in.

He stood a few steps behind her, waiting to see if she would react to his presence. The longer he stood there, the more apparent it became that she had no idea he was there. He walked up behind her, making noise as he went. When she still didn�t turn around, he put his hands on her shoulders.

She jumped and spun around to face him, hand half raised to hit him. When she realized who it was, she stopped her hand before it could connect with his face. �Didn�t anyone ever tell you that it�s impolite to sneak up on someone like that?�

�I didn�t sneak; I made plenty of noise. You were just so lost in thought that you didn�t hear me. That�s not normal for you.� He furrowed his brow in concern. �Is everything alright, Claudia?�

She hesitated before answering. �Adam, I want you to promise me something. I want you to promise that you�ll never act on those feelings of yours, no matter how powerful the temptation might be.�

He shook his head. �I won�t make a promise that I can�t keep.�

�Please, Adam. I need to know that there�s at least one man that I can trust not to try and take advantage of me. You have no idea how hard that�s been. I need that promise.�

�You don�t know what you�re asking.�

�I know exactly what I�m asking of you.�

�No, you don�t. You�re asking me to lie to myself, to essentially deny that I have any feelings for you whatsoever. How can you ask me to do this?�

Tears came to Claudia�s eyes. �I have to know that I can trust you.�

�Oh, Claudia,� he sighed, pulling her to him, wrapping his arms around her. �You can trust me. I can�t promise what you want, but I can promise you this. I will not, under any circumstances, take advantage of you. You will always be safe around me. If you decide that you want to take things further, I�ll be more than happy to oblige, but I won�t push it myself. Are you ok with that?�

�It�s close enough,� she said reluctantly. �It�ll do.�

He pulled back enough to kiss the top of her head very lightly. �Good. Now, then, do you want some help finishing these dishes?�
When Adam and Claudia finally emerged from the kitchen and walked into the living room, they found the others slumped half asleep in chairs or stretched out on the couches. It was a rather bizarre sight. Jesse was flopped on one couch in a sitting posture, one hand supporting his head while Honor was curled up beside him with her head in his lap. Brennan was sitting with his arms behind his head in an armchair with one leg suspended over one of the chair�s arms. Shalimar had stretched out on the other couch, lying on her stomach with one arm used as a pillow while the other trailed on the ground. Emma had claimed the recliner for herself and was the most awake of the bunch with her eyes drifting open every so often. She was the first to notice them.

Emma yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. �What time is it?�

Adam glanced over at the clock on the wall. �It�s past ten. We should be getting back to Sanctuary.�

Claudia looked at the others and shook her head. �Y�know, Adam, I don�t think that�s such a good idea. None of them really look up to the job of flying the Helix.� She walked over to Honor and shook her gently, waking her up.

�What would you have us do instead?� he asked.

�Stay here,� she suggested. �It�s not like we don�t have the room to spare. Besides, something tells me that it�ll be very hard to separate Jesse from Honor.�

Honor blinked sleepily up at Claudia, �Huh?�

�Never mind. Just go up to bed, Honor.�

The younger woman sat up and stretched. With her head out of his lap, Jesse woke up and looked around in a daze. �Claudia? What�s going on?� he asked sleepily.

�Nothing that you need to worry about; just help Honor get up to bed.�

He nodded and got up, helping Honor to her feet. Together, they headed out of the living room.

Adam watched them go. �I suppose that would be a good idea. Even if we were able to fly the Helix, I doubt that we�d see Jesse come back down before morning.�

Emma smiled. �Those two are so cute together,� she commented drowsily.

�Well, if we�re going to be staying here, we need to get them all into rooms,� Adam said.

�I have pajamas that will fit Emma and Shalimar, but I�m at a loss as for what to do for you and Brennan.�

�What about Jesse?�

She gave him a look. �Somehow I don�t think we need to worry about that.�

Adam got the hint. �Right. How about the help�s old clothes?� he suggested.

�I think I saw something in there while I was packing that might fit you two. Hang on, I�ll be right back. See if you can wake up Brennan and Shalimar while I�m gone.�

Claudia left the room and headed down the dimly lit hallway to one of the rooms containing the packed belongings of the house�s help. After rummaging through a couple boxes, she found a couple pairs of pants, shorts, and some oversized shirts that might fit either of the two men.

She turned to head back to the living room when something in the shadows caught her eye, she turned, but there was nothing there. She set the clothes down and looked around the room, but she was alone. Shaking her head, Claudia picked up the clothing and left the room. I really must be tired, she thought. I�m starting to see things that aren�t there. I should get them to bed quickly so that I can start my meditation. I�m exhausted.

When she returned, Shalimar and Brennan were awake, but only barely. They looked up as she walked in.

�I found a few things, but I don�t know if they�ll fit either of you,� she said as she set the clothing down on the couch between Brennan and Adam. �I�ll let you two poke through those while I take Emma and Shalimar upstairs to get them something to wear. When you�re ready for bed, just come up to my room.�

She led the two other women up the stairs and into her room. After some riffling through her clothes, she came up with things that suited them.

Shalimar yawned, covering her mouth. �I can�t believe how tired I am.�

�You�ll be able to get to sleep soon enough,� Claudia assured her. �Let�s go find you two a room to sleep in.�

The three women headed down the hallway. Claudia opened a door near Honor�s room. �One of you can sleep in here.�

Shalimar shrugged. �It looks good to me. Besides, I don�t think that Emma would want to sleep this close to Honor and Jesse.�

Claudia smirked and Emma blushed. �I can understand that. I�m glad that my room is at the other end of the hallway for once. If it�ll make you more comfortable, I�ll give Brennan the room beside Shalimar�s and you can have the one on his other side.�

Emma looked relieved. �That sounds wonderful.�

That settled, Claudia headed back to her room. A couple minutes later, Brennan and Adam showed up at her door. Silently, she led Brennan to his room. Once he was inside, she turned to Adam, taking a deep breath.

�I�m placing an extreme amount of trust in you here. I�m giving you Honor�s parent�s room, the one right beside mine.�

�Are you sure about this?� Adam had picked out a pair of loose fitting black pajama pants and a baggy dark red shirt. It looked really good on him.

Claudia shook her head. �If I can�t trust you, I can�t trust anyone.� She opened the door and went in. �It looks like everything is ok in here, so I�ll just leave you to get some sleep.�

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck. �You don�t have to go just yet. I�m not as sleepy as the others.�

She pushed him away. �Don�t. Please, don�t do that.�

He looked hurt. �I know you�ve been hurt and I know we�ve been over this before already, but-�

�But nothing! I know how you feel, Adam, but you have yet to ask about my feelings. Has it possibly occurred to you that I don�t feel the same?�

Shock flashed across his face. �No, it hadn�t.�

�I don�t.� Her expression softened a little. �Look, Adam, I care about you, but not the way you�d like me to. You�re my friend, nothing more.�

He lowered his head in defeat. �I can�t burry my feelings, you know that.�

�I know, and I�m not asking you to. Just don�t let them get in the way, ok?�

�I�ll try.�

�That�s what I was expecting you to say.� She walked up and grabbed his hands, using them to pull herself up onto her toes. She reached up and kissed him lightly on the cheek. �Good night, Adam. Sleep well.�

He put his hand over the spot she�d kissed and watched her leave. �You, too,� he said softly as she closed the door behind her. He sighed and headed over to the bed, pulling the covers back. �Somehow I doubt I�ll be getting much sleep.�
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A Matter of Honor