My world came collapsing down around me as Ella's words had hit home. I trusted Ella, I knew she was high up in Maui, and I knew she was favourite to become joint assistant manager along with her brother and her cousin in law when the current assistant manager stood down his role. I also knew Ella was the current running manager with Joe of the deception and detective unit at Maui so I trusted her judgement completely. This was all my father's doing. This was all caused because of my genetics. He ruined everything in my early teens and now, he was ruining everything. Anger rippled over me. He killed my best friend, took myself and my friends away from their lives to make a point. And what point did he even make? It didn't matter, because he was here. He was watching me. He knew my every move.

'Woah, Lucy,' Ella said as I fell over, my eyes tightly closed as the room circled me. I then felt light and floaty. 'Come on Lucy stay with us,' And then I was feeling heavy again.

'You can hear us, still, open those eyes,' Crystal said, and someone rubbed my forehead.

'Yeah show us those pretty eyes,'

'God, she does have really pretty eyes,' Ella said, laughing gently. 'Such a bright shade of green, delightful stuff,'

'If you and Jason have a kid what colour eyes could the baby have?' Sky asked. 'What colour eyes does Lily have,'

'Bright green – Joe's,' Ella said.

'Compared to you – grey on grey with some more grey, dash of green with a sprinkle of more grey. It's like a mouldy dead shark,' Crystal said.

'Well, that's a new one. Mouldy dead shark,' Ella laughed.

'What colour do you think baby will have?' Crystal asked Ella.

'Brown – I had an affair with Chris Pratt,' Ella said and everyone laughed. 'Nah, genetically speaking there's not much leeway when it comes to eyes – first colour is green, then blue then if genetics starts playing around probably brown. Theoretically, I shouldn't have green mouldy dead shark eyes. Brown is the dominant allele and my Dad had brown eyes, so does Michael. How I ended up with green is a genetic mystery,'

'That, and how you're only five foot,' everyone laughed again.

'Be nice to the midget,' Crystal joked.

'She's only doing that to call Godparent,'

I realised my eyes were still closed and I was lying on the floor, with my head on someone's lap as the rubbed my forehead, someone else holding my hand and the third person was sitting with my feet on their lap. My eyes wouldn't open and were prized shut so I just let them hear them.

'I can be Godparent too,' Sky joked.

'You're already Godparent,' Crystal sulked.

'You two,' Ella said.

'I shotgunned it last time, first come first serve!' Sky joked

'You two are not getting Godparent privilege at all if you interrupt it. I'm giving it to Lucy.' Ella said, rubbing my forehead with cold hands.

'Why are you so cold?' My eyes snapped open and saw Ella sitting above me, a glow of blue coming from her hand as she gently rubbed my forehead. I raised an eyebrow at her as her hand retracted the blue going. 'What the bloody Hell were you doing?'

'Making you cold,' Ella simply said. 'Get you to wake up,'

'I think your kid with Jason would be adorable,' Sky said, rubbing my calf.

'Woah, you're having a kid with Jason?' Ella said looking down at it.

'I was thinking about it,' I mumbled embarrassed.

'That's just adorable,' Ella said, playing with my hair and I sighed. How were these people so open about everything? I thought family were meant to argue with things you want to do. 'Yeah, your kids would be bloody models,'

'Bet you're looking forward to labour, Els,' Crystal joked.

'Oh Jesus, no,' Ella laughed. 'All I'm saying is if I'm in labour for three days again, and then have the baby rushed away to neonatal for no reason, I will kill someone,'

'Lily was taken to neonatal?' I asked and Ella nodded.

'She was five weeks early, and they said she was shocked from the birth, which I think was right but they didn't think she was breathing properly because she wasn't crying, so rather than work on her in the room they took her down to neonatal and no one would tell us anything. Forty minutes later they came back with Lily crying,' Ella said.

'And you go back for seconds,' I said in amazement and Ella laughed.

'Every time she gets pregnant, something bad happens.' Crystal joked. 'Let's blame Joe, not you,'

'You've seen Hercules, right? That song the girl sings and it's starts off with "if there's a prize for rotten judgement, I think I've already won that,"' Ella said and I laughed, sitting up. 'Nah, I love him really,'

'CUTE,' Crystal said across the room where she went to pick up a bottle of water.

'I say we give all of this a break, teach Lucy how to drive and perhaps find a Nando's,' Sky said and Crystal nodded at her, pointing.

'Yes girl!'

Ella was a really good teacher when it came to driving; whilst Sky and Crystal were having showers and getting ready to go out, Ella took me down to the car park and explained the basics to me, including what the biting point was and how to find it, how to get the car started and how to change gears. I drove around the car park for a while; Ella showed me how to turn into corners properly and how to stop without stalling, or how to move without stalling. When I was comfortable enough – about two hours of private tuition with her, Crystal and Sky came down and got in the back.

'You were doing brilliantly, Luce, just ignore those spanners in the back,' Ella said.

I sat on the edge of a T-junction, waiting for a gap in the traffic. I had already let three cars go, and I think Ella saw me shaking.

'Look, after this car there's a gap, you're already on the biting point, just take your foot off the break and go onto the gas slightly,' Ella said softly and I nodded a large Toyota passed me, and I did what Ella said and the car continued down the road – I was driving this car!

'Okay, so we're coming up to a roundabout, stay in the left lane indicating left and when there is no cars on the close side of the roundabout, just head out, stay to the left and follow the road, alright love?' Ella said softly and I nodded.

Sure enough, I did fine and I was picking it up a bit too quick – almost like I knew what I was doing before I got into the car. Like someone had taught me how to drive and my body remembered it but my brain didn't. Weird.

'Are you sure you haven't driven before?' Ella asked as I pulled onto the fourth floor of the multi-story car park, I pulled into a spot on the left, reversing in flawlessly. I turned off the engine after securing the car and looked at Ella.

'I don't think so – why?'

'I haven't been telling you what to do, just where to go,' Ella said.

Oh. I remembered how to do everything perfectly, then, including massive double roundabouts, turn in the roads when I got lost and bay parking. I thought I was doing a bit too well for a beginner.

'When you get back, book your driving test because you'd nail that first time,' Ella simply said, tapping my leg as she got out the car. I followed her, like a sheep, locking the car as I left.

'Did you pass first time?' I asked her and she nodded.

'I've taken three driving tests, and passed them all first time – one for America when I was sixteen, one for the UK when I was seventeen and then one for Canada when I was eighteen and we did a case up there,' Ella explained.

'I passed second time around,' Sky explained.

'First,' Crystal bragged,

'Only cause you were flirting with the guy,' Ella added as I locked the doors.

'Walking in your boot,' Crystal joked, hugger to the side.

'So, you think all of this is my Dad's doing?' I asked bluntly as our plates of chicken got delivered to the table in Nando's – Ella and I had gone for a chicken butterfly with a mango and lime seasoning on Ella's recommendation, with Crystal going for a burger and Sky a grilled chicken wrap. We all had unlimited drinks on the table. A lot closer to the girls now, and even as they even referred to me as part of their family, I wasn't so panicky when they mentioned my Dad. Sky looked up at me with concern in her eyes, before looking at Ella and nodding.

'I think so, yeah,' Ella said, taking a bite from her garlic bread. 'It just makes sense why we were targeted to attack.'

'Okay, but why?'

'That's the golden question,' Crystal asked. 'Why does anyone do anything?'

'I think they messed up, though, they didn't know what they were doing. I think they wanted us to attack and know we were doing what was right, that we wanted to do it again if they came near us. They cocked up – we know what we are doing was wrong, we wanted to stop and it and not only that we can talk to them over the phone and it's golden – that's the good thing,'

'Good thing?' I asked Ella and she nodded. It seemed the complete opposite of a good thing.

'It means nothing has happened to the bond, either,' Crystal piped up from the other side of the table. 'I've doubled checked on all of us, and we all seem fine, but the bond is masked, like Ella said. When we break that mask, everything will go back to normal,'

'How do we break the mask,'

'We faced something similar to this in Venice – how long ago was it?' Ella asked Crystal and she shrugged. 'I'm not too sure, but there'll be a way to remove it.'

'If Ella's with me, we can figure it out but we'd need safety nets,'

'What does that mean?' I asked, the fear hitting me.

'Lucy,' Sky hissed from across the table as I started to shake. Why did we need to be safe?

'Lucy, you're doing your thing again,' Ella said gently, blinding putting her hand on my upper thigh. I frowned and then realised there was a purple fuzz around me – meaning I was going invisible. There was no good use for my gift, which is why I never use it but it's dangerous. Fear clearly triggers it off in odd bursts. I have no control. I sighed slightly, visualising the purple fuzz disappearing.

'How the bloody hell do you do that,' Crystal asked, grinning at me as Sky looked around to see if anyone noticed.

'I dunno, it's pretty useless,' I shrugged.

'Useless? You can spy on people, your hide and seek skills are flawless,' Crystal said. 'If you think your gift is useless, we can all cop on the same card – Sky can see pretty colours, I like to ship people and hope they get together like a twelve year old and she's an ice machine,' She nodded to Ella who simply lifted her glass. I laughed slightly. 'But it's more than what is on the top; Ella can decrease any fluid and stalk people anywhere. I can find peoples Soulfinders, and Sky can alter people's auras. You can go invisible, for God sake, you have a gift that kids wish they could have. You have one of the most unique and intriguing gifts known to Savants so far, so don't you say it's useless or I'll get our cousin Jason to give you smack booty,' Crystal said and I teared up.

'Oh no, don't cry,' Sky said. 'Her inspiration speeches normally have that effect, they're rarer than the solar eclipse though,' She grabbed my hand across the table.

'We just need a precaution in case we black out – we did last time,' Ella said softly. 'So we'll just text the guys to come and get us,'

'Can I call Jason?' I mumbled, feeling stupid. We're all in the same position but I was the only one acting weak but there was no sign they thought the same.

'Of course, I think the loos are just down that flight of stairs,' Ella said, getting up to let me through. I fiddled with my phone as I walked down the pathway, down the two flights of stairs and into the ladies. I looked around the small rest room, and when I saw no one was there I pulled out my phone and dialled Jason, who picked upon the fourth ring.

'Hey,' He said softly, like he had just woken up.

'Was you asleep?' I asked him, looking at the time on my phone. Half ten at night.

'Yeah, you alright beautiful?' He asked.

'I'm so sorry, get back to sleep!' I protested.

'Don't be silly, love,' Jason said.

'Ella and Crystal think they have a plan as to how to stop us attacking you,' I whispered and heard Jason move, and a click of a lamp turned on.

'Really?' He said excited.

'I dunno if it'll work, though, they think my Dad had done this to me.' I whispered.

'Oh,' He whispered. 'How are you holding up?' He asked me. 'We have the suspect's name, so we'll verify that but I won't tell you who it is for certain, it won't do you any good.'

'Oh,' I repeated, tearing up. 'I'm scared, I don't want to lose you,'

'You'll never lose me, my darling girl, never,' Jason said on the other side of the phone.

'You say that...'

'And I mean it. If whatever Ella and Crystal have planned works, you're coming straight back to mine and we're watching Disney films for a week straight with take outs, sweets, fizzy drinks, a spot of alcohol and lots of blanket forts and you're never leaving my side again,' Jason told me.

'I just... is it stupid how much I miss you,'

'Of course not,' Jason whispered softly to me. 'I miss you so much too,'

'Jason, I've been thinking...' I started off and I heard him clear his throat on the other line of the phone. How would I phrased this without seeming needy?

'Yeah?' He asked.

'If everything works out okay between us two, and obviously when we sort out where we're living and everything and Dixon...' I sighed, Dixon's name causing the impending pendulum of doom to start up inside me again. But I knew Dixon would want me to continue being happy. I knew her, she'd wouldn't want me to traul over her death for months. 'And you want too as well, obviously I wouldn't want you to be unhappy so maybe...'

'You're stalling, love,' Jason said softly and I sighed.

'Would you ever consider having a baby... with me?' I asked quietly, pacing the toilet washroom in a slight moment of anxiety. Jason remained silent on the other side.

'Why wouldn't I?' Jason replied and I grinned.

'Really?'

'There's a lot of things we'd have to sort out before though, like where we'd live, jobs obviously – I've already spoken to the big boss at Maui in Guildford and providing Ella is okay with it they are more than happy to transfer you up here and into Ella's department – her and Joe would train you too, but that's if you'd want to do it. That's also providing everything else is okay and I know you said you had trouble when it comes to intimacy...' Jason said softly.

'We'll work it out, it'll just take time I guess,'

'Yeah, it's not like we're eighty or something. We have time,' Jason mumbled. 'God, I love you,'

'I love you too,'

'Where are you – it's echoing?'

'Nando's, I ditched the girls for a second to call you, I just... I just wanted to hear you I know that's stupid and pathetic and childish but...'

'Stop that, it's not. It's perfectly acceptable, it honestly is.'

'I should probably go back up there,' I said, too scared of being apart from them for a period of time, in case they'd leave without me or something worse would happen to them.

'Of course, I love you Lucy,'

'I love you too, Jason, get your ass back to sleep,'

'Yes ma'am,' Jason said chuckling before I hung up on him, holding my phone to my chest as I rethought about our conversation. He was willing to have a baby with me once we settled down! I think that was one of my biggest aims – I didn't care too much about being the best at my job, I wanted a family. After being deprived of love and affection for most of my life, I wanted to show that love and affection and learn the meaning of family the reverse way. I was so glad Jason was aboard.

I went back upstairs to see the girls still sitting around the table, continuing to eat their food. Ella spotted me before anyone else and smiled at me grinning like a little child, standing up to let me go in and sit back in my corner.

'We've agreed to try tomorrow morning, we'll all contact the boys telling them to meet us in the lobby, and we'll call them if it doesn't work or if we don't pick up then to come upstairs and find us,' Sky filled us in.

'So we'll black out?' I asked and Crystal nodded.

'Your brain doesn't like things fiddling with it, so it shuts a bit of it off to try and stop it. If it works, we'd all black out,'

'We'd be taken back to a hospital, put in psychiatric containment and whoever is the first to come around – probably me – will be the tester to see if it'll work. If I'm fine with Joe, they'll allow you all to wake up with said Soulfinder's in the room.' Ella explained, putting her knife and fork down on the plate, sipping her Fanta through a straw.

'Ey, who says you're waking up first?' Sky joked.

'I'm slowly becoming immune to anaesthetic, I swear,'

'Would we be on anaesthetic?' I asked Ella.

'Fifty fifty, they might want too to give them more time and also we still have wounds that need redressing from the car crash so they might give us a dose to do them,' Ella explained, lifting up her shirt to show the massive gauze along her side, taped into place, but had clear coloured marks through the white material. It makes sense now why she was went into theatre – also that graze or whatever it hid under that gauze was dangerously close to her abdomen where her unborn son was resting. She had shown me a picture Joe has sent her of the emergency ultrasound they had performed once she was mopped up from the car crash. I frowned, looking at my arm which had a small gauze on it too, and plasters along my right thigh. The braces for the bone were taken off, as somehow it magically fixed itself. I knew it was Jason's doing. 'It'll give them more time to get the Savant Psychologist in from Aberdeen,'

'Why Scotland, isn't there one closer?' Crystal asked.

'Yeah – me,' Ella said and I smiled. 'Don't think I can pass myself off psychologically, but they might not give us any and go for the wild bear approach which is exactly what happened last time. Let us wake up, and just watch as I attack Joe,' Ella shook her head at her own behaviour in disgust.

'Right, let's go home then,' Crystal said, standing up and putting her coat on. 'We need a good night's rest,'

Hello! Okay, so, slight spoiler but I needed to explain myself. The whole idea of Jason & Lucy having a kid is extremely important to the plot. Not now, and not in this book but there is another reason (I won't tell too much, but it's important) and I'm not copying Capturing Ella in the way it ends with a kid which is important to remember but there is another reason. I will say they do end up having a child but I don't mention when because spoilers!