I'm so sorry that I've waited so long to update but I'm planning to get a couple more chapters of all my stories up in the next couple of days so… please accept my apologies. Thank you so much to everyone who left such kind reviews – they make my day :)

This chapter may seem a bit OOC for Vic but seeing as meeting the love of your life can kinda change you, I hereby excuse his behaviour :)

Disclaimer: None of the Benedicts/the Savant World belong to me – all rights to Joss Stirling!

Chapter Nine – Vic POV

"Do you want to call anyone?" I ask in the tentative tone that Sky has been trying to teach me. Leah is hunched over the dinner table, gobbling up Cheerios like the apocalypse is near. Or maybe because she hasn't eaten any in over eight years, I'm sure. She doesn't look up at my question but I can guess from the movement of her hair that it's a 'No'. Same as every morning. She definitely has family, I checked the moment we got back from the airport, but for some reason she has no desire whatsoever to contact them.

"Your family needs to know you're back in the country."

"No, they don't" She mumbles and finally lifts her head. The injuries on her torso, legs and arms have 'reduced' to startling red, fleshy scars but every time I look at her, her face seems to be one big open wound even though the bruises have faded, the knocked-out teeth have been replaced, the nose straightened and the swelling has reduced. I know that such a traumatic experience is incredibly hard and difficult to deal with but I had no idea one could see it so clearly in the person's face. I've seen a lot during my time at the FBI but this … Perhaps it's due to my emotional attachment to the person in question but …

"Why don't you tell me a bit about your family background?" I try to approach this as professionally as possible seeing as I have to prepare her for the stuff she's gonna hear this afternoon.

"I can think of exactly 234 reasons why and I believe we have an appointment to get to so if I'm doing my math correctly we are not even going to get through the first 12 reasons on our way to wherever we're going."

"Well, we're going to be going to my office at the FBI and I know how to avoid every shortcut."

Her mouth curves into an almost smile but stops before it reaches her eyes.

"Shouldn't I be wearing something slightly more … sophisticated, then, if we're gonna visit a government agency?"

"Believe me, my colleagues and I have seen worse."

"What a real charmer you are. I'm gonna go brush my teeth and meet you her in a sec."

"You'll need three minutes if I remember correctly from Elementary School."

"You've obviously never lived real life before." She calls over her shoulder and disappears into the bathroom.

I can't believe I just made a Xav-corny joke in front of my soulfinder. Rubbing my eyes, I clear the table and reach for my shoes. You've never lived real life before. I always thought that out of all my brothers, I'd seen it all, been out there in the real world, fighting crime, but when I think about what Leah must have gone through, spending eight years of her life in a warzone, the only fitting, yet still mild word I can think of, is hell.

"Ms Andersson, my name is Special Agent Fred Glutheim. I'll be interviewing you today."

"More like questioning."

I stifle a snigger behind the double-mirrored glass and try to focus. Hopefully, we'll be getting some real clues and information this time though right now, I can totally see our new agent Fred being torn to pieces.

"One could call it that, I guess. Andersson, quite an unusual name here in America." I roll my eyes. First lesson of training – don't do small talk.

"Not really, didn't you have history in High School?"

He's so going down. I turn around to see Xav leaning against doorframe, grinning at Glutheim.

She's a tough one.

"Well, yes, but …"

Second lesson of training – don't let the interviewee get the upper hand.

"Get to the point, Freddy, I'm hungry."

"What's your family background?"

"Mother German, father Danish, me born in Colorado Springs, temporarily lived in North Germany until I was eight, moved back, enlisted in the army when I turned 18, been there ever since."

"Why did your parents decide to leave Germany?"

She hesitates, quickly glancing at the double-mirrored glass as if she can sense my presence. I told her about this specific Savant-unit, that she can say anything she wants but I can see she still has trouble grasping the concept that it's so natural for us.

"There was an accident involving my … p…powers but don't bother asking me anymore about it because you won't be getting any info from me."

Fred knows better than to argue with her.

"I saw that when you were on leave from the army, you never, in eight years, returned to Colorado. You visited the Easter Islands, South America and Mongolia but never once visited your family. Why is that?"

"Apparently, absence does not make the heart grow fonder."

"If you could stop speaking in riddles-"

Third lesson of training – don't do 'if-clauses'.

"If that saying is a riddle for you, you really shouldn't be here, doing this job."

"Listen here, Miss, -"

Seeing that Fred has lifted himself out of his chair and is leaning over the table in a way that probably brings back quite recent, unpleasant memories, I rush next door and pull Leah behind me.

"Fred, back off, I told you she would be difficult to talk to."

"You didn't tell me she'd be such a stuck-up bitch –"

My fist connects with his jaw before my brain even has the chance to consider any other options.

Vic! Take it easy! Xav's voice brings me back to a certain extent and I force myself to let go of Leah, who stiffened the second I touched her.

"She fought for this country, she was willing to give up her life for her country, she's done more in her short life that you will ever in yours so I recommend you back the hell up and leave her alone."

Fred gives me the stink-eye but shuffles away rather quickly, holding his bottle of water against his jaw.

I turn around to find Leah staring at me and I can't help but stare right back, almost losing myself in those brilliant blue eyes.

"Hey-y'all, I'm Xav."

Murdering my brother in the FBI office probably isn't a good idea…

Next chapter will definitely be up within the next 36 hours (I'm a night-writer) :)

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