Last breath

By Ferae Naturae

An Explanation: This was initially inspired by Jouley's comment in the review of ChEsTeRz finale to the challenge, regarding Lauren Lee Smith leaving Mutant X and the mess it makes of the Shal/Emma fandom. "So i guess it doesn't matter anymore if you send the stories to Tribune.. :( Unless they decide to throw in a quickie shal/emma subplot in the first ten minutes of season 3 before emma bites the big one.." I was thinking about it and I could kinda see a Buffy/Angel type thing - where they kill her coz she's bad, but then she's good, but still dead :S I've wanted to use some Evenescence in a deathfic for a while because the album Fallen is FULL of potential deathfic material. The song is My Last Breath.'

"You can't Adam. You can't. Please don't say you're going to do this." Adam better than any of the others knew what Emma meant to Shalimar. But this was not a decision he could go back on.

"I'm sorry Shalimar. This is the way it has to be."

"There has to be another way." She whispered, desperate. She could feel the tears rising in her eyes, fighting for release.

"You know we wouldn't be suggesting this if there was."

"She's out of control Shal." Jesse added. "We have to stop her before anyone else gets hurt." Shalimar turned away.

"Why is she doing this? What happened that changed her?" She demanded of Adam, as if he held all the answers.

"She got too powerful." He replied quietly.

"Power doesn't change people. Power doesn't turn a wonderful person into someone who doesn't give a damn about anything."

"But Emma does care about one thing, Shalimar. Just one thing. More power, just like all other powerful people. Power corrupts, and absolute power..." She lashed out. Not truly wanting to hurt him, but wanting him to stop. Dreading seeing the truth. He regained his feet as she span on her heel and ran, the blood on his face haunting her.

Absolute power... when had Emma reached the point where she lost all perception of love and life in the dream for absolute power - or was the power that she had hidden from them that impressive that it might be considered absolute?

She remembered a time when she might have trusted Emma DeLauro with her life, they had both used their powers once or twice for questionable motives, but it had always been for a reason they had thought was right and so could be forgiven later. They'd even used their powers on each other once or twice. It had all been part of their friendship, another hurdle to overcome. She couldn't believe it would come to this.

She watched from the corner of the building. They had left without her, but they had been lazy. They had not seen her follow. They were too worried themselves. She watched from the corner of the building as the dart flew. She watched as it fell. She saw the incredible wave of power, and the second and the third. She saw her friends fall, crying to themselves, screaming, beginning for death. Jesse lay silent, on his back as though he was watching the sky. His eyes held nothing. The soft rise and fall of his chest was all she saw to show the life in his body.

Emma turned away from them, discarding them. They were no threat to her anymore. Shalimar's mind was full of desperation. She blended in with the others, hidden in their emotions, she stepped up behind Emma silently and lifted the gun once more.

The dart flew true and she saw Emma stagger. She moved to her side as she fell, taking her stilling body in her arms and holding her. Her bitter tears fell silent as all time stopped.

Hold on to me love
You know I can't stay long
All I wanted to say was
I love you and I'm not afraid.
Can you hear me?
Can you feel me in your arms?

Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
All my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light
It ends here tonight

I'll miss the winter
A world of fragile things
Look for me in the white forest
Hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)
I know you hear me
I can taste it in your tears

Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
All my thoughts of you
Sweet Raptured light
It ends here tonight

Closing your eyes to disappear
You pray your dreams will leave you here
But still you wake and know the truth
No one's there

Say goodnight
Don't be afraid
Calling me
Calling me as you fade to black

Her last breath whistled out of her body, giving its last message and Shalimar brought her close to whisper in her ear.

"I know. I love you too. Sleep well."