Hay Everyone! As you can see I've updated and I hope you enjoy! I know things might be boring right now but they will get exciting soon! I'm just setting the story and adding the background! Hope you like! I only ask one thing and that's that you review, please. 56 people read my introduction an I only got 1 review. Come on people that is disgusting! It will only take you a couple of seconds to tell me what you think and if you have any suggestions to make it better. Okay?

Thank you,

Love Leanne XXXX

P.S: Just so you know the writing that is in italics and has '...' at the beginning of the sentence and the end of the sentence is Sue and you talking. :D Enjoy!

Chapter One.

I sat at my laptop as the sun shone through the window, browsing the Internet, trying to find somewhere where deaf people went to meet each other. Jock lay on the floor at my feet with his eyes closed as he dozed in the patch of sun that shone through and onto the floor. We were the only ones in the house as both my parents were in work and I did not want to stay with family as I would not be able to have a conversation with them like I used to anyway. I had ordered a CD ROM off the Internet a few days ago on British Sign Language (BSL) and I was hoping it would arrive soon so that I might have some chance of interacting with people again.

I paused what I was doing and sighed, turning away from my screen and staring beyond it to look out the window. It was such a nice day and yet I couldn't go out even though I wanted to. I sighed again and turned back to my laptop. I decided that I might as well make use of all the time I had and see if there was anywhere for me to go. I scrolled down through the pages and my eyes lit up as I spotted exactly what I was looking for. I scanned the website and noticed that they were meeting in a few hours not too far away from where I lived! I jumped to my feet and ran to the table to grab my bag as Jock sat up and watched me. I ran into the passage and pulled my coat on and grabbed Jock's leash from its hock by my coat and called him to me. He ran out of the living room and stood still in front of me letting me kneel down and clip his leash on. I quickly told him to stay and ran into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water so I wouldn't have to go into a shop. I rushed back into the passage, picked up Jock's leash and opened the door. I closed the door behind me and started jogging down the road to get to the bus stop.

When the bus pulled up I climbed on with Jock and quickly informed the bus driver that I was deaf and that Jock was my hearing dog. He gave me a look of disbelief but I just pulled out my wallet and showed him my medical card and passed it to him. He looked it over and opened his mouth to speak but, again, I cut him off.

"I can't read your lips and I don't know sign language either… I lost my hearing a few weeks ago in an accident… Can I have a return ticket to the bus station please?" I asked and pulled out the amount I knew I'd need and passed it to the driver. He gave me a sympathetic smile and passed me my ticket and change and took Jock to a seat near the back of the bus. I waited for him to jump up onto the seat before sitting down and tapping my hands on my lap to make him lay down with his head and front half of his body across my lap.

I watched the scenery whiz by through the window as I stroked Jock's head and sighed. This was not how I thought my life would turn out this, but then again you don't expect something like this to happen to you… I turned my eyes up to the sky and smiled softly… After the accident I found comfort in the words of the Bible and the knowledge that God was always and would always be there for me and that He had done this for a reason. I was sad that I had lost my hearing but I was happy to be alive… Now all I had to do was to get my life back on track and start learning to communicate with people again. My life would be nowhere near as hard as it is for someone who was born deaf. I had perfect speech and the only way someone would be able to tell I was deaf would be through me telling them. I could learn to read lips! My eyes lit up at the idea and I made a note to remember to ask someone about it when I arrived at the center.

I snapped myself out of my thoughts and saw that the bus was pulling into the station, so I picked up my bag and Jock's leash and we made I way off the bus. I forced myself to hold my head up and walk confidently as I walked to wards the information's office. I walked in and showed my card to the lady at the desk and explained to her that I was deaf and hoped that she would be kind enough to phone for a taxi for me. She nodded her head yes and started writing on a piece of paper. She asked me for my name, where I was going and where I wanted to be picked up from, before she picked up the phone and dialed the number. It only took a few minutes for her to make the call and inform the person on the other end of the line to explain my situation to the driver. I thanked her profusely before making my way to where the taxi would be picking me up.

When the taxi arrived I opened the door letting Jock jump in before getting in myself and putting on my seatbelt. The driver smiled at me and nodded politely, which I returned and the rest of the drive was spent in silence. As the taxi turned round corner after corner I could not help continually glancing at my watch. I had fifteen minutes before it started and I didn't want to be late. I glanced out the window and I couldn't help but smile when I saw the sign above a doorway to a large building. When we pulled to a stop outside I could see people walking up the steps while signing to each other and I knew I was in the right place. I turned to the driver but when I went to pay him he shook his head and wrote down on a piece of paper that he wasn't charging me the fare. When I tried to give him the money saying I would feel guilty he gave me a look that told me he wouldn't take no for an answer. I smiled at him gratefully and reached forward and hugged him, thanking him for his generosity. He smiled at me and gave me a little card on with his mobile number on it, then he handed me a piece of paper that told me to text him if I needed him to pick me up and take me back to the bus station. Before I could say anything else he winked at me and drove away leaving me to smile after him and pray to God to look after such a kind man.

I turned around and stared at the building in front of me. I looked down at Jock and smiled nervously as he looked up at me.

"Well… Wish me luck boy…" He barked and wagged his tail and I laughed before taking off up the steps and walking into the lobby. Instead of following the signs that pointed to the Main Hall where the meeting was I sat down on one of the chairs and started writing in my notebook, again explaining that I was deaf, how it happened and why I was here. I glanced up at the clock on the wall when I was finished and my eyes widened as I grabbed Jock's leash and started rushing to wards the Hall, mumbling that it was about to start.

I paused in the doorway and looked around the room, watching all the people signing to each other. I had moved off to the side of the room and had only been standing there for a few minutes before a lady came over and started signing to me. I stopped her by talking and she seemed to understand I didn't know sign and she got angry, thinking I wasn't deaf and had came here to make fun of them. She started pushing me to wards the door but I managed to stop her. I used the basic sign of please and stop and pointed for her to read my notebook as I stared at her sadly. She snatched it from my hands and started reading through it. Her anger hurt me so to hide it I bent down and started stroking Jock's head and neck to calm myself down. He licked my face to try and cheer me up and I hugged him tightly to hide my face in his fur.

A few minutes later I felt someone kneel down and wrap me in a hug. I turned my head around carefully and recognized the woman's hair as the lady who tried to push me out of the room just now. I patted her back and she stood up taking me with her and leading me over to a set of sofas with a table in between them. The sofa's faced each other and on the table was a bowl of marshmallows and some tissues. She sat me down and held up her index finger to tell me to wait a second. I nodded my head and watched as she walked away before looking at Jock and smiling sadly.

"You think she believes me?" I asked and he barked in an affirmative. I smiled at him for real this time and started smoothing him again. "I hope you're right…" I sighed and stared at the table.

It should have come as no shock then, that I was shocked when someone placed a mug of hot chocolate on the table in front of me. The marshmallows presence made sense then when she popped some in her coco. She offered me the bowl and I shook my head and did the sign to say thank you. I knew about five signs all together and I was using them up very quickly. I watched as she picked up a pad of paper and started writing on it while glancing at my notepad that she had placed at the side of her. My eyes filled with happy tears as I realized she was answering all my questions that I had written in my notepad.

I had been sitting on the sofa for a good ten minutes when she passed me her notebook and it then took me another five minutes to read it. She had written all about a woman she knew who worked for the FBI in Washington who is deaf and might be able to help me. Her name is Sue Thomas and she was born deaf but knew sign language and could read lips! My eyes filled with tears as she passed me her phone and pointed to Sue's phone number at the bottom of the page indicating that I should call her right now. It took another five minutes for her to show me how it worked and then another five minutes for me to get up the courage to call her. It would be 9:AM in Washington right now and she would be awake and in work already. I took a deep breath, typed in her number and waited for her to pick up. 'Hello Rachel! How are you?' I stare at the screen for a moment and ask uncertainly, 'Hello? Is this Sue Thomas of the FBI?' It takes a few seconds for her to reply this time. 'Yes it is. Who is this?' I sigh and start to explain my story to her pausing every so often to take a few deep breaths as I fight back tears. Rachel gets up and sits by me wrapping her arms around me to try and calm me down.

Once I finish my story I start to cry and Rachel takes the phone off me and starts typing into the little keypad. I don't take any notice as I slide off the couch and sit on the floor hugging Jock and crying heavily. Fifteen minutes later Rachel tapped my shoulder and passed me her phone again and I held the little mike to my lips finally having calmed down now. 'Hello?' I asked into it. 'What would you say to coming over to America, working with me and my team through an apprenticeship where you will learn all the skills you need to become an FBI agent as well as how to sign and how to read lips? I've already talked with my supervisor and he's given it the all clear. You would live with me and my roommate, Lucy, and when you started work you would get paid for it. What do you say?' I stared at the screen in amazement and looked at Rachel and she leaned over my shoulder to read what Sue just said. 'Is that all right with everyone? I mean… Are you all sure? I don't want to get in the way and… well… I will…' I trail off as I can think of nothing else to say. 'Of course we're sure! And you wouldn't get in the way! You would be staying at the apartment for the first few months so you can learn ASL and how to read lips… I'll see if my old teacher is available… She retired a while ago but she owes me a favor and I know you don't have a lot of money… Am I right in saying that you won't be able to buy a plane ticket to get over here?' I was so shocked that a complete stranger would be willing to do so much for me and I'm sure if she could hear it she would understand just how much it all meant to me. 'Oh! I'm sure I could get enough money! I have some money saved away in the bank. There should be plenty there to get me a plane ticket!' I wasn't lying to her… Not really… I did have enough money to buy a plane ticket… I just don't think I'd have any money left after-wards… I glanced at the clock on the wall and gasped. 'Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Sue I have to go! My parents will be so worried! Ummm… Uhhhh… I'll send you my e-mail address by text from my phone and I'll have to talk to you through e-mail or instant messenger if you have MSN. Uh… Do you have MSN?' I asked. After she confirmed that, yes she did have MSN, I thanked her again and again but told her I really had to go and I would send her my e-mail address as soon as possible. She agreed and said she'd get the contracts drawn up so that all I'd have to do was sign them when I got there. I would be on paid leave until I had learned ASL (American Sign Language) and learned how to read lips well enough by the teacher's standards as well as Sue's standards. I thanked her again and we hung up after wishing each other well.

I threw myself at Rachel and hugged her tightly thanking her sincerely for helping me the way she did and telling her that I would come to the next meeting. Rachel took my notebook from my fingers and wrote her e-mail address down, and took mine, and told me to tell her what my parents say about going to live with Sue as soon as I could. I agreed and she gave me her cell phone number so I could text her and let her know that way if I couldn't get online. I picked up my cell and pulled out the card the taxi driver gave to me but just as I was about to text him Rachel took my phone off me and I watched in confusion as she wrote on her note book and passed it to me. She was going to drive me home instead of me needing to get a taxi home and when I tried to argue she shook her head telling me that she wasn't going to back down. I smiled thankfully at her and hugged her again and we picked up our things and made climbed into her car. With both of our dogs in the back seat we headed to my house to tell my parents the good news.