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

Chapter Five

I'm lying in a heap of lazy mess on the couch watching reruns of Project Runway when Xav comes home after a 12-hour shift. A smile lights up his exhausted face as he sees me lounging on the couch and leans over to give me a kiss.

"What's up?" I ask, my regular question when we ask each other about our days.

"Nothing," he says slightly too fast for my liking.

"What's really up?" I ask again and to make my point, I raise one of my eyebrows.

"I did an appendectomy today, treated a boy's cuts from when he fell off his bike and took care of someone who had a concussion."

"Something's up and if you won't tell me, I'll just find out myself, Mr Benedict" I say and nudge him playfully. I hate it when he keeps secrets from me but I can tell that it is an uncomfortable topic so I drop it. For now.

"I'll heat up some pizza and you go have a shower" I see and tumble off the couch, a side effect of not wanting to move your legs to get up.

Dinner is quite tense, despite Xav trying to lighten up the mood by making inappropriate comments about everyone and everything.

Xav, what's going on?

I try telepathically because that does bring us closer and he might be willing to confide in me.

"I got invited to go to a couple of conferences with my boss."

I can't help but grin widely and walk around the table to hug him from behind. This is what he's been working for for months. Why is he acting like this is gonna be his funeral?

"Congratulations!"

"In Europe"

My grip around his shoulders tightens.

"For four weeks"

My heart clenches and a small "Oh!" escapes my mouth.

"I'm not going"

"What?" I exclaim loudly and swing round his shoulders to see if he's joking. Apparently not. "Why not?"

"Umm... it's gonna be in Europe and I'll be gone for four weeks, darlin'," he says as if that's a legitimate reason not to go.

"Xav, hello?! You've been talking about these conferences for weeks now. Why do you suddenly not want to go?"

"When I first heard about them I thought they'd be taking place in LA like every year. But now they've transferred them to London and Berlin because the majority of the attending doctors is British or German."

"Xav-"

"So I'm not going," The tone in his voice is just itching to be challenged.

"Yes, you're going."

"No, I'm not"

"Yes, you are"

"No, I'm not"

"Xavier Benedict!" I say and am quite proud of myself for imitating Karla perfectly. "This is a massive opportunity for you, you can't miss it!"
"We'll be 6384 km apart. That's a bit more than the 50 miles in Venice."

"Xav, we'll be fine" I say and try to hide the apprehension I'm feeling at the idea of us being apart for that long. We've managed before, I try to tell myself but am answered with a traitorous voice in the back of mind, explaining that Denver-Venice was before we loved each other and became a couple.

Xav just nods and leaves the kitchen, mumbling something about getting ready for bed. At 8.30 pm? That's not the Xav I know.

"Xav, c'mon. Can we at least talk about this?" I ask as I flop back into the pillows later that night.

"It sounds to me like you want to get rid of me for four weeks" Xav jokes but I can hear the tone of distress beneath his humour.

"What are we scared of?" I ask, deliberately making it our issue.

"I dunno… I guess… that something happens to you and I'll not be there to help you."

"Xav, I can take care of myself."

"I know. That's what's bothering me. I know you handle your own. I'm just … scared that it'll hurt."

"Hurt?"

"My parents haven't spent a day apart in their thirty years together. Neither have Phee and Yves, Zed and Sky or Trace and Diamond. Being apart when I was in jail in Italy was hard enough."

"Xav" I say gently and turn his face in my hands so that he's looking at me.

"We'll be fine." I'm not sure whether I'm trying to reassure him or myself. Xav closes his eyes for a second and nods.

"We'll phone, text, skype, okay?" he asks and I answer him with a kiss. Just then, an image from

Xav's mind floats into mine, earning him a slap in the chest.

"We're not having Skype sex, Xav!"

"Cupcake!? How am I gonna survive?" He sounds so desperate that I can't help but laugh out loud

before leaning over to give him a kiss that quickly turns heated and passionate.

"We'll just have to do something for you to remember it…"

"You're gonna call the moment you land and when you arrive at the hotel -"

"And when I go to bed at night and wake up in the morning. I know, darlin'"

We're standing just outside security and I'm fiddling with his jacket like a mother would on her son's

first day at school. For the past week, we've excelled at the task of ignoring the fact that this day

would come. Every day for the past few days, Xav and I have gone to work in the mornings, returned

in the evenings and tried to make up for what we're gonna miss in the coming four weeks.

Suddenly, Xav slings his arms around my waist and lifts me up that my face is level with his. Giving

me a frantic, desperate kiss, he presses me so close to him that I almost suffocate but right at this

moment, I wouldn't actually mind it.

"I love you so much, Crystal."

"I love you, too, Xav. Now, c'mon, you need to get going." Kissing my forehead one last time, he

whispers I love you in my mind, urging it to stick.

As he makes his way to the gate, he doesn't once take his eyes off of me until he has to round a

corner and is out of sight.

It's only been one minute and it already hurts.

The 'reunion' will be up next chapter with a bit of Xav's POV - Please review !