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

This chapter is dedicated to xxx-benedictbrothersfan-xxx as part of our deal ;)

This is bits and pieces of my other story 'Convincing Kira' from Crystal's POV - you don't have to read Convincing Kira but it would probably help :)

Chapter Nine

The weeks following our birthdays are the worst. Well, they started fine but then turned … worse than bad. Will arrived here shortly after Xav's birthday to celebrate his 23rd birthday in New York. On his second evening, after we'd all had a couple of glasses of wine, he tentatively asked me to look for his soulfinder. Having previously been against the idea of me overdoing it again, Xav took a bit of convincing but relented soon. What I saw, however, sobered us all up immediately. That link, that with Xav and me is built on images, memories, wishes and emotions, was plain blank and cut off in the middle. Just – not there. Will must have seen something on my face because without saying a word, he shoved past me and stormed out of the apartment. As a result, I went to bed, Xav tucking me in and promising to talk to Will though I could see he was furious at Will for shoving me. So, here I am, crying myself to sleep. Maybe there is something wrong with me… But I'd found Leah and Ava okay, hadn't I? Was it something I did? Did I put something in my mind to make him lose his soulfinder? The last words Xav said to me before turning the lights off and leaving me to sleep were 'It's not your fault.' How could he know that for sure? At the wedding, I'd sensed something about Amsterdam but now that's all completely gone.

I can hear the apartment door slam shut and just a second later the sound of a heavy body being slammed against the wall.

"Now listen, mate!" I hear Xav whisper-yell and know that it's Will who's been shoved against the wall. Despite Will's rugby player build, Xav seems to be stronger right now. Quietly, I sneak out of bed and open the door ever so slightly to peak into the hall. Xav looks angry like I've never seen him and Will looks downright smashed. Tousled hair, swollen eyes and traces of drool on his shirt. Where has he been?

"Don't you ever shove, push or hurt Crystal again, do you hear me?"

Despite his drunk state, Will manages to loosen Xav's grip around his shoulders and shoves Xav against the opposite wall.

"You have no idea how it hurts. It fucking hurts, Xav."

This is bad. I've never heard Will swear before.

"Will-"

"You didn't see that look. That look that tells you that you have no hope in hell of finding the girl of your dreams. That look that tells you that you're alone. Fucking alone."

"I know, Will. And I'm sorry. You don't know how much I wish it would be different but that does not give you an excuse to hurt Crystal."

Instead of answering, Will just pushes Xav against the wall and staggers to his room, slamming the door in the process. Xav rubs the bridge of his nose and lets out a tired sigh. I open the door a bit more and make my way towards him. In what I hope to be a comforting gesture, I wrap my arms around him from behind and lean my forehead against his back.

"I'm sorry" I whisper. For some reason, I still feel horribly guilty about everything.

In response, Xav turns to face me, cupping my face in his hands.

"Darlin'. You have nothing to be sorry for. You did what you could."

Knowing there's no point arguing at this time of night, I let him lead me back to bed, so that he can tuck me back in like a little child, this time him hugging me close and not letting go.

I wake up to Xav still fast asleep next to me. Being careful not to wake him, I make my way to the kitchen, only to be greeted by the sight of Will struggling to make the coffee maker work.

"Here, let me do that" I offer without making eye contact.

"I'm sorry" Will mumbles so quietly that I almost don't catch it.

"It's okay" I say and hand him the coffee while I rummage around the cupboard for a painkiller to make his hangover bearable.

That's all we say for the rest of the day. Will still continues to give me that desperate, angry look and I can't help but flinch every time he walks into the room, resulting in Xav putting his arm protectively around my shoulders though I can see that that makes it even worse for Will.

The next day is Will's twenty-third birthday. Xav and I have for once agreed on something and bought him these action thingies with a voucher for a Game Store down the street. His smile is fake and his thank you's not sincere but it's reassuring to see him try.

Over the next few days, Will's mood swings get close to unbearable. When Xav and I leave the apartment to go to work, he's all cheery and 'Good day' but when we get back, he's returned to his shell and slams doors at every possible moment.

You can't let him be like this! Xav's voice is urgent and desperate but I shut him up with a glare.

He's happy, so you should be happy.

Yeah, but this happiness won't last, I know it. Kira will eventually marry her soulfinder and will leave Will completely wrecked.

Will came home in quite a tizz today and after a lot of poking and prodding from me, he told us that he'd met his soulfinder. After my initial shriek of excitement, he sobered us up at once, stating that she'd told him she already has a soulfinder. After confessing that he'd invited her over, I tried to cover up my doubt and sceptism by encouraging him, something that I really regret know after speaking to Xav. He thinks that Kira is telling the truth and is constantly telling me that he thinks it'll be really bad for Will to hang out with her.

However, seeing Will and Kira interact whilst playing League of Legends eradicates any shred of doubt from my mind saying that they aren't soulfinders. The way their movements match each other's, the way Kira's is just the right height to put her head on Will's shoulder, the way they talk together, laugh together…

"I'm going to tell him" Xav whispers next to me.

"Don't you dare, Xavier Benedict. Just let him be happy."

"I really want do, darlin', but this" He waves his hand at Kira and Will, who are heading for the kitchen, "this will slowly kill him. And I don't want to see that happen."

I'm quiet for a bit as an idea begins to form in my mind.

"D'you think I've done something to his mind? That I've accidentally … replaced or moved the soulfinder link… Maybe I did something at the wedding. Maybe he's-"

"Crystal." Xav silences me and pulls me onto his lap, cradling me like a little child. "None of this your fault. Please have some faith in yourself."

I'm trying, really trying, so when Will enters the room and asks me what's wrong, I say 'nothing', even though I can sense Xav's disappointment. I don't know how to fix this.

"You were quite badass in the last couple of days" Xav says as he slips into bed next to me.

Grinning smugly, I snuggle up against his chest and look up at him with bambi eyes. Kira woke up early this morning so Xav can finally have a long night's sleep.

"But, Cupcake, don't ever, and I mean ever, do that to me again." His grip around me waist tightens and he presses a kiss against my hair.

"Do what?" I ask.

"Walk in front of Morgan's gun like that. You almost gave me a heart attack. I thought you were going die."

Propping myself up on my elbows, I lean over to give him a long kiss before answering.

"I know I wasn't. I had faith in myself."

I wanted to show a bit more of Xav and Crystal's relationship during Convincing Kira...

Please review!