26th January 2013

"Are you going back home to London once this case is over?"

It was just one question, asked by Uriel as he sat across from her in the café that morning. Just one small question with a yes or no answer, yet Hazel found herself pondering her answer whilst Uriel waited patiently. Shouldn't it be a simple answer? "No. No, I'm not going back because I want to stay here with you," is what she should be saying but she stopped before the words escaped from her lips.

The truth was, a large part of her wanted to go back to London. It was, and always had been, her home and she loved her little, cosy flat even if she never did stay there the whole year. Being a lawyer for savants had always been her dream job and she had worked hard to get here; she deserved to have this life that she loved. She got to travel the world and represent all sorts of clients in a range of different cases. Who would want to give up a job they'd always dreamed of having, a job that enabled them to travel the world and get a high pay check?

But this was Uriel. Uriel, whom she had already split up with once because of long-distance issues. Uriel, whom she had been in love with for years. Uriel, whom she had given up being with her soulfinder for. Why wouldn't she want to move to Wrickenridge permanently, settle down and buy a house with a white-picket fence and a large back garden, get married and start a family when it was Uriel involved? She could picture it all right now and knew that she would have a relaxed, pleasant life.

But she didn't think she would be happy. As much as she loved him and wanted to be with him, she didn't think she could be that person for him. She was fully aware of how selfish it seemed, but she didn't want to give up her dream job and move here just so that she could have a relationship with Uriel. She would always feel like there was something missing and that would stop her from being completely happy with her life. She couldn't see herself ever giving up her job for him and she hated that. She wished she was able to so that they could happily be together... But no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't even picture being happy after giving everything up for him.

She hated herself for it because she wanted him to be happy and she knew that her moving to Wrickenridge would make him happy. But she just couldn't do it.

Finally, she looked up and met Uriel's eyes but could only hold the stare for a second before guilt made her look down at her cappuccino. "Why do you ask?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

She looked up again in time to see him roll his eyes and flash her a smile. "Isn't that obvious?" He chuckled. "I'm asking because I want to know. Because I don't want our relationship to end like that again. Because I want you to stay here. With me." His cheeks blushed a rosy red colour, his smile small and shy. Even after everything they'd been through together, he still got awkward and shy and embarrassed talking about commitment and how serious they were for each other. Hazel found it adorable.

She sighed. "Honestly, Uri... I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'd love to stay here with you but I'd still like to travel a lot for my work and when I'm travelling, it's best to have London as my base, so to speak. It's easier that way. Plus, my brother and his wife and children are there, I wouldn't want to be on the other side of the world away from the only family I have left." Seeing his face fall, she was quick to continue. "I'm not saying that I won't move here with you eventually. Just right now, I don't think I'm ready for that. I'm sorry."

Uriel reached across the table to grasp one of her hands and smiled, shaking his head. "Don't apologize. We haven't even been back together for that long, you have every right not to be ready yet. Let's just make a promise right now that you and I, we're not going to split up because of distance again, okay? If you go back to London, we can stay in touch and visit each other. Or I could even come with you."

"I couldn't ask you to do that," she said gently. "You have your entire family over here, your job and your studies. It'd be more difficult for you to move."

"I don't care. Whatever I have to do to be with you, I'll do it, Hazel. That's how important you are to me."

"You're important to me as well," she smiled. "More than you'll ever know. Anyway," she cleared her throat and changed the subject so that she didn't start crying. "Shouldn't you be getting to work?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "We have a new girl starting today, Welsh apparently. I've been given the honours of showing her the ropes," he rolled his eyes. "Before I go though, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Hmm, what's that then?" She squeezed his hand.

"Well you know that I'm moving out of Vick's place tomorrow and into my new flat and I was wondering... Well, it'd be easier for you and cheaper because you wouldn't be paying for a hotel room... Plus, I'd really like you to be there."

Seeing him struggle with his words, she laughed. Having a feeling about what he was getting at, she finished his question for him. "You're wondering if I want to stay in your flat for the rest of my time here, aren't you?" He nodded sheepishly in response. "I'd love to, I really would."

Late afternoon, Victor left Hazel, Will and Gary in the side room as he entered the interrogation room to join the awaiting Judith Williamson. She looked up at him and frowned. "Why am I here?" She protested. "Nobody is telling me anything! I am sick and tired of all this waiting around."

"Don't worry Mrs Williamson," Victor said as he slid into the chair next to her. "You're going to find out why you're here very shortly. Now, before I start this interview, I need you to be aware that our conversation is being recorded and filmed, okay?"

"I understand," she nodded. "Now, are you going to tell me why I'm here, Agent Benedict?"

Instead of answering her question, he asked one of his own. "Mrs Williamson, you are married to the suspect, Elliott Williamson. But what was your relationship with the deceased, David Fletcher?"

Judith fidgeted in her seat and clasped her fingers together on the desk tightly. "He was my soulfinder," she answered, knowing that the FBI were all aware of the savant existence. "When we found out, we began to have an affair. I hated cheating on Elliott, but I stayed with him because of our three daughters. David and I were in love and we were planning on moving in together. I left Elliott and told him the whole truth of why. David was going to leave his wife but... He didn't have the chance to."

"Mrs Williamson, do you think that your husband would go to the lengths of murdering David and his family out of pain and jealousy?"

It took her a moment to answer but she eventually nodded. "I don't want to admit it, but yes, I do. I believe that Elliott killed David and his family. Elliott had been depressed ever since our eldest daughter began to have personal problems. He blamed himself for not being there enough for Blue and for not realising something was wrong sooner and... His depression just got worse when I asked him to move out. I think he wasn't in his right mind and I think he killed them."

Victor frowned. Her story sounded believable and her voice sounded like she was telling the truth but he still wasn't sure whether to trust her or not. If only Hazel was in here using her power, he thought to himself. Judith would literally be unable to lie. Despite having said that he would use his own power on her, he didn't want to- he hated using it and preferred to only use it when absolutely necessary or when asked to by his boss.

"Your youngest daughter, Poppy Williamson, was recently questioned over a man that approached her whilst she was on a school trip. We have identified the man as being Jon Barker. What is your relationship with him?"

Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion and she tilted her head to the left, pursing her lips. "Jon Barker? I don't think I know anybody by that name."

"Don't lie Mrs Williamson," Victor snapped harshly. "We know that you dated him in high school and then went on have an affair with him whilst you were dating Elliott Williamson. We also know that Jon Barker is the biological father of your eldest daughter, Bluebell. So, don't even think about lying to me again. Why didn't you tell us that you knew the guy that had spoken to Poppy?"

Mrs Williamson sighed. "I didn't know if it was him or not. I thought maybe... But I wasn't sure. Look, Jon's a good guy. He might come across as a rubbish father to Blue but that's because I told him to stay away, to let Elliott be her father. He wanted to be there for her and he stuck around, watching from a distance and all that, to make sure she was okay. I mean yeah, it sounds a little creepy but he's harmless. I knew that he'd be a suspect if I told you I knew him and I don't think he would kill David."

"Even if he was jealous and wanted you back?" Victor raised his eyebrows.

"What? No! Jon was never jealous of me being with David. Or Elliott, not in the past two years anyway."

"Why would your daughter Blue claim to have seen Jon being violent towards Elliott more than once then? And why wouldn't he be jealous?"

Judith looked taken aback to hear the implication that Victor had spoke to Blue but quickly recovered. "Isn't it obvious?" She asked. "Jon wants to be Blue's dad. When Blue was first born, I didn't think Jon would be a good dad- he was a tough guy and wasn't ready to be a dad and he agreed. As she grew up though, he wanted to be involved but I didn't think it was right to confuse Blue in that way so I let him see her once or twice a year. Jon was jealous that Elliott got to be Blue's dad and he was over-protective of her. That's why he was violent with Elliott. Jon's married now, he found his soulfinder. He doesn't want to be with me anymore."

Victor silently cursed at himself for not following protocol and checking out Jon's record before the interview where he presumably would have read all of this. Maybe now, knowing that he was married, they might be able to find him. There weren't any properties listed under his name, but maybe there was one under his wife's name. "You should have told us," he pointed out. "Anyway. For now, those are the only questions we have for you so you're free to go. But this isn't over, Mrs Williamson. Don't leave town and be prepared for us to bring you in for questioning again if needs be. If you'd like to wait here and I'm sure Katherine will be in in a moment to see you out."

"Thank you Agent Benedict," Mrs Williamson sighed in relief that the interrogation was over.

Victor left the room and found himself face to face with Hazel as she left the side room. "Where are you going?" He asked her.

"I'm going to try and get Elliott released on bail," she replied. "It didn't work last time but... Well, this is different. He isn't the only suspect, plus Blue has given him an alibi and the rehab's record book proves that he was there. He'll probably get put on house arrest, but anything's better than prison. I'm going to try and get it so he's tagged though, so he has time to go and visit Blue. It seems important to both of them."

"Blue would like that, she misses him," Victor nodded.

"About that... I never would have expected you to visit Blue simply because she hardly gets any visitors," she said gently. "I think it's really great that you're doing that."

Victor smiled. "You don't expect it because you think I'm heartless and mean, but I'm not. I'm not who you think I am, Hazel."

"Yeah, I'm starting to see that," she said quietly, returning a small smile and looking into his eyes. Their eyes locked together, the contact like a scene you would see in a movie and it gave Victor a shiver down his spine. After a few long seconds, she was the first to look away. "Anyway, I should go. See what I can do for Elliott."

"Well, good luck." Without realising what he was doing, he reached up and pushed a strand of her behind her ear after noticing that the strand kept swinging into her face. Dropping his hand, he gulped and felt guilty. He felt like he was doing something he shouldn't considering she was dating his brother, but how was sorting her hair out inappropriate? It felt intimate to him though, which he thought was pretty stupid. The guilt reminded him of something he had been meaning to ask her. "It's Uriel's birthday next week, by the way."

"Yeah, I know. I remember," she nodded, breathing heavily. Victor wondered if she was as affected by him as he was by her? He doubted it.

"My parents are planning a surprise party and wanted me to tell you that you're invited. Not sure what time it'll be at just yet though."

"Yeah, of course I'll go," Hazel smiled. "Definitely."

"Brilliant. I guess you should go then."

"Yeah. Thanks, Victor." She looked at him one last time and said, "you did great in there by the way," before turning around and walking away from him.

Thank you so much for the reviews you've been leaving, I love reading them so much! I hoped you liked this chapter.

PS. If any of you have tumblr, please feel free to follow me: (bloodthirstyduck)(.tumblr)(.com) [it wouldn't let me post a proper link]

I always check out a person's blog when they follow me and if I post a lot of the same things, I'll follow back :-)

xoxo

EDIT: There is a mention of one of the soulfinders in a future story of mine mentioned in here, let's see if you can spot her ;)