Here it is! double-upload, you guys need to get me cookies or something! the next ones 'll be coming a lot faster now that we're getting down to the good stuff!
Sky and I were kept apart by the police until we had both given our sides of the story. As I waited, I tried to tune in to Sky's thoughts. I didn't like what I heard; her Dad was giving her a hard time, and it had a strange effect on her thoughts, bringing back dark memories I couldn't make out properly. A small, blonde girl, no older than six. A flower; a daisy? Too many conflicting images, and I was forced to retreat. It was obvious Sky wasn't interested in talking to me or anyone just then.
I was in the waiting area when Sky arrived, and her eyes latched on to me immediately without needing to search the room. Her lips started to smile reassuringly before an officer hurried her away. I caught her fleeting wish that she had been able to change from her costume and smiled to myself. That's my Sky.
"Zed, I try to do one thing for you!" Xav seethed as he barreled through the door, the rest of my family quickly following "What were you thinking?"
"I wasn't –" I started, but Xav interrupted.
"No, you didn't think, did you? You just saw and acted. Jeez, Zed! You keep getting into fights and we'll never stay under cover." The last was in mind-speech, but we all heard it loud and clear.
"Let me speak!" I said calmly, then looked each one of them in the eye "It happened. The vision." Xav's anger evaporated just in time for my Dad to enter.
"Zed." He said "I cannot believe my son would start a brawl in the street – do you have any idea what kind of trouble you're in? And sneaking out! It's like I don't even know you anymore. . ." the lecture continued and I saw Sky walk out from the interview. Behind her, an officer clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. I was thankful for the pause in the lecture, but knew that as soon as I got home and to the privacy of our home, the play button would be pressed again. I smiled slightly to myself – but it was so worth it. For Sky.
"All right, all right, people, let's move this along." The officer was saying, his voice easily carrying to the smallest corners of the grubby waiting area "I want a word with Zed, then you can all go." I followed the officer into his office where he promptly started asking questions, confirming motives – I wasn't really listening, answering with just a 'yes' or 'no'; because, really, how could I do this to Sky? How could I have let it happen? It was a fake knife, for Christ's sake! And Sky – who would want to hang around with a boyfriend who was so overprotective he started street fights over a squeal and some fake blood? Sky would be ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated. I had to apologise.
"Look, Zed, I know you were just protecting your girl." The officer finally said, and his tone made me look up and pay attention "We have this kind of thing every now and again, but just relax, OK? No one's out to get your girlfriend." - Not that you know, I thought sourly - "You can go." He dismissed me with a wave of the hand, lazy and in control. I thanked him (only slightly patronizingly) and left. Sky and I were kept separate when we left, and surrounded by our respective families – mine more substantial than hers – acting as guards. I had the feeling they weren't to protect us, but to act as another barrier separating us. As if there aren't enough of those already.
. . . like the exchange of hostile prisoners in an old war film. Sky's thoughts bled through, and I couldn't help myself. Not being able to talk for the last hour and a half, and probably not being able to talk in the foreseeable future, broke my self-control.
"I feel like I've been suckerpunched." I sent to her, not caring about the risk of being overheard "I can't leave without saying sorry. Again." I added, frowning.
"What happened?"
"I lost it, flipped out – all thanks to my freaking gift." I shook my head to myself "I'd seen what was going to happen, you see, months back. Saw you being attacked with a knife. I hadn't realized it was fake."
"But that's good, isn't it? The threat wasn't real." Sky thought optimistically.
"Yeah, but you've just swapped my imagined threat for a real one of assassins. Congratulations and welcome to the wonderful world of the Benedict family." I though sourly, then noticed Dad looking at me "I'd better stop talking. Dad's giving me these weird looks."
"Zed?"
"Yeah?"
"Take care."
"You too. Love you." I quickly tuned out and Dad looked ahead again. Had he heard? Had I said too much? I wasn't worried about my Dad - as far as he was aware, what I called 'love' was little more than a flitting teenage romance, and was about as permanent as a snowman in Saudi Arabia - but I was worried about Sky. I knew what my soulfinder was like around Love. I could still feel her shock, her scepticism, and, deep down, her fear.
At school, the gossip mill was turning at full speed; the story of my fight and police warning had flown ahead of us by hours, and there was no way to deny it. Well, that could work out to our advantage; I didn't have to hide anymore. So, relishing in the feeling, I caught Sky in the corridor and tugged her into an empty classroom; I saw several eyes following us. I didn't care. The first thing I did was wrap my arms around her; as long as she was with me, she was safe. It was a rare feeling nowadays, of Sky being safe.
"Are you OK?"
"Fine." Uh-oh; I knew that 'fine'. It was a woman 'fine' – translation: I've never felt so crap in my entire life, and nothing has never been so not-fine. So I decided to tease it out of her. And to make her smile.
"I've been hearing about this drop-dead gorgeous skeleton from everyone. Seems she had to report to a police station with some idiot who took on a couple of sophomores."
"What did your parents say?" Sky said quietly, and I replied with a hollow, humourless laugh.
"You really want to know?" I repeated, shuddering internally at the memory "I'm going to have to work off my debt for Ben's teeth with extra chores and go round to apologise. I've had to swear not to sneak out with you again. They make me feel about nine years old. You?" after all, Sky was really all I cared about; the extra chores would be nothing if she was OK. And as for the no sneaking out, well...
"It was OK. Simon blames you." She said matter-of-factly, which, for some reason, sounded inexplicably funny.
"Great." I grunted, fighting off the laughter I knew Sky wouldn't appreciate.
. . . did he mean it? When he said he loved me, did he mean it? Should I ask? A feeling of nervous fear coming from Sky, No, don't ask.
"Yeah, I did." I replied, hugging her tighter.
"Stop nicking stuff out of my head." She grumbled, burying her nose in my jumper.
"I think I knew it from the moment you stood up to me in the parking lot, but, last night, when I saw you in the station dressed as a skeleton, defending me to the police, I knew for sure." I continued gently, the moment replaying in my head, and cupped her face in my hands, taking in every beautiful, perfect inch "I understand you still have issues with what I've been telling you, but it's more than just a random pairing, Sky: I really feel so much for you, it's scaring me to death. You are just. . ." I searched fro the words that would encapsulate the emotion bursting and buzzing in my chest "just everything." I finally said "Your smile, the way you think, the way you get embarrassed when I tease you, your stubborn streak." I felt her conflicting emotions – the want to hear what I said, what I was going to say next, but also the dread of what I was going to say and was saying. They were totally opposite, and even she was confused by them.
"You've noticed I'm stubborn?" she said finally.
"Can't miss it. To me, you're the theme that harmonizes perfectly with mine." Sky was a music girl – she would understand if I put it in music terms. Another thing I loved about her. . . love. . . "I'm in love with you." I whispered, half to myself, half to Sky.
"You are?" she whispered back, and something shook in her voice. I darkened my gaze, knowing I was probably moving way too fast, too serious, but still going anyway; it had to be said.
"Sky, I've not felt like this before and it's terrifying." I admitted.
"Well, wow." She stepped back "Um. . . you should probably try to get over it. I'm not good at this relationship stuff."
"Sure you are." I disagreed light-heartedly, letting her retreat into her personal space again "You just need time to adjust." Then I slowly stepped forwards and wrapped my arms around her again, her head resting on my chest. At least she didn't pull away. I felt her intense confusion as my own. I heard the what if's swirling in her mind, but, as usual, her mouth was on a different track to her mind.
"What's going on now?" she asked "Has Victor had any luck finding the people after you or who betrayed you?" I spun Sky around so that I was leaning against a desk and she was leaning against me, my arms looped around her midriff and chin resting on her head. Her hands wrapped around my forearms. They were cold.
"He thinks it's most likely it goes back to Daniel Kelly." I informed briskly. She turned her face to look up at me.
"Hey, I've heard of him. Doesn't be build skyscrapers?"
"That's only a third of what he does." I said darkly "he's currently building a city-within-a-city in Las Vegas. It's a massive complex of hotels, casinos, and apartments. But he does it with dirty money – not that anyone dare say as they'd be crushed by a ton of lawsuits. He's got various relations heading to different parts of his empire. Some are complete crooks – no better than the mafia. We caught a couple of them in Denver after a hit – we think on his orders, not that we can prove it; they went down for murder one a month ago – it was big news at the time."
"I remember them talking at school about it." Confirmed Sky with a small nod.
"Vick is trying to find out if they've got a savant on their payroll but it's tough. They're hardly going to talk to a Benedict and his sources are coming up dry. Kelly's got it in for us now. Will and Uriel are at college in Denver so they're watching each other's back. The rest of us are confined to the barracks." Sky's hand slid into mine.
"What's Will's gift?"
"He's most like Dad, can sense trouble. He's great at telekinesis too."
"What's that?"
"Moving stuff."
"Like lemons?"
"Yeah." I smirked happily "I'm way better than Xav at it." The bell rang, making the end of our time together.
"I'm missing maths." Sky said calmly, not moving.
"That's too bad. I've missed being with you." I hugged her tighter to prove my point.
"I'll get a detention." She pulled away, grabbing her bag and looking expectantly at me.
"Then I'll get it too. Great idea."
"Won't you risk getting thrown out – Tina said you were in trouble again."
"No, they won't dare. I'll send you along to the principal's office in your skele-suit." I chuckled "Man, I love that outfit." No class interrupted us, and I perked up a bit, knowing we had another hour to ourselves. Who cared about maths, anyway?
"So are you going to tell me the rest of it, about your family?" she asked challengingly. I wandered over to the windowsill and helped Sky up beside me.
"Yeah, I suppose it's past time." I sighed "We can all do different stuff like telepathy, but we each have a main gift. You know about Dad sensing danger. Mom sees the future and can read thoughts off people: she's the most like me, I guess. Together they can maintain a guard around the house – it's part of their combined power as soulfinders." Our powers, my mind corrected what my mouth couldn't say "Trace can read objects. If he touches something, he can see the person or the event that brought it there."
"Very handy for a cop." Injected Sky with a quirk of the head.
"We think so. It's either that or be an archaeologist. Uriel, I think I mentioned, sees the past. Victor can manipulate people's thinking –"
"What!" Sky practically yelled.
"Yeah, he channels emotions and thoughts. Not so good when you find yourself agreeing to do the dishes when it's his turn. Xav's a healer. And Yves can handle energy, make things explode, catch fire and so on."
"Bloody hell!" she exclaimed, and I almost laughed at her typically English reaction "Yves looks so. . . well, so friendly and studious."
"It was scary when he was a toddler, Mom says, but he's got it under control."
"How can your family do these things?"
"We just can." I shrugged "It's like why do you have blue eyes?" I felt the change in Sky immediately, like she had been plunged into cold water.
"I guess I must have inherited them from my birth parents, but I wouldn't know, would I?" her expression was blank "They dumped me."
"Sorry, that was stupid of me. I saw something about that in your memories." I said, remembering the little blonde girl counting daisies; it must have been her.
"Sally and Simon couldn't have children so they took me on when everyone else thought I was too disturbed for adoption. I really didn't speak for four years until they rescued me." I could see so many emotions flitting through her blind gaze; love, realisation, care, and a scary kind of seriousness that left me struggling to formulate an appropriate response "They had the patience to coax me out of my shell."
"They're special people." I settled on, even though it sounded like a childish thing to say.
"Yes, they are."
"In the most important respect, they're your real parents now – I can see things from them in you."
"Like what?" interest and pleasure was written all over her face, and the hopeful note in her voice gave it all away. No one had said anything like this to her before.
"You're as nice as your Mum about people and that stubbornness, that's from your Dad."
"Good." She smiled slightly "He's a Yorkshireman. He'll be pleased to hear it's catching."
"You shouldn't be scared of what you inherited from your biological parents." I decided "I can't see anything to be ashamed of when I look at you."
"Just don't look too hard." She whispered, crossing her arms over her knees in a tight little ball.
"I guess one of them must have been a savant." I said casually, catching a loose curl and twirling it around my fingers, watching the light shine on it in golden lines "My family comes from savants on both sides. Dad's people are part Ute – that's a Native American tribe. Mom says she has gypsies and all sorts in her bloodline. Dash of Irish somewhere along the way and a big dose of Mexico. I'd say we're doomed from birth."
"That's how it works?"
"Yeah. My parents are key players in the Savant Network – it's a kind of world-wide web for those of us with a gift. Mum's gift helps check those who join, making sure they are in it for the right reasons."
"So bad guys need not apply?" joked Sky, but I shook my head seriously.
"Not that they'd want to. The Net is about using our gift for the benefit of others. We keep ourselves secret so we can live as near to normal lives as possible, but that doesn't stop us helping where we can."
"And you really think I'm a savant too?"
"Yeah I do."
"But I can't move things." She disagreed.
"Have you tried?" I countered.
"Well, no." She said doubtfully, but proudly "I wouldn't know what to do. I thought I saw stuff once – aura, I suppose you'd call them – but I don't anymore." Not that I'll admit anyway. I let that slide, knowing she'll tell me what she wants to, and just enjoyed our rapidly dissolving minutes together, hand-in-hand. The sky outside looked stormy, with thick clouds, but pretty soon snow began to fall like icing sugar from the dark clouds.
"I think this is it," I said, breaking the silence "the first proper snow. I'd love to be able to teach you to ski but it's not safe for you to be with me out there." And I hated it. I tried to hide my emotions in a casual tone of voice, but I think my frustration slid through.
"I suppose it wouldn't be a good idea." Sky agreed perkily.
"You should get Tina to take you out," I said hopefully – wouldn't it be great if, when all this is over, Sky and me could ski together? "she's pretty good."
"I might do that." she smiled "But she'll laugh at me."
"Yeah, she will." I said, dipping into the future; I saw Sky, wrapped up with too many layers, on the floor in a heap of snow while Tina was almost on the floor in fits of laughter. Sky looked annoyed but her cheeks were bright red.
"Then again nothing can be as humiliating as a skeleton suit."
"Don't knock the suit." I frowned, but let my eyes show my amusement "I'm preserving that and gunna beg you to wear it on special occasions." A sharp spike of emotion swirled within Sky, and once again she showed her talent for saying something totally unrelated to her emotions.
"Will you teach me to shield? I don't want your family reading every thought that crosses my mind." I wrapped a comforting arm around her, hugging her closer to me.
"No, we wouldn't want that. I catch some of them sometimes, you know. I like the one where you. . ." and then I whispered the rest into her ear, detailing everything that I had seen in her mind, every secret moment she had ever dreamed of that I had been privy to, where we were together with no chance of interruption or danger - placing emphasis on that one dream she had had that featured me, her, and an endless supply of hot chocolate with all the trimmings. It made her blush furiously with embarrassment and me glow with happiness; she had thought that, about me. She couldn't deny it – she wanted me too. God bless teenage hormones.
"Shields – I need shields." She muttered to herself when I was done. I laughed in response.
"OK. The technique is simple but it takes practice. It's best to use visualisation. Imagine building walls, putting yourself inside them, keeping the emotions, ideas, thoughts safe behind the barriers."
"What kind of wall?" her eyes had closed in concentration and when she spoke, her lips barely moved.
"It's your wall; you decide." I closed my eyes and watched as a shadowy wall appeared in front of me, the colour of the sky on a sunny day.
"That's good." I commented. It was very her.
"You can see what I'm seeing?"
"An echo. When someone's shielded I see a shadow, a blank. Yours is a pale blue colour."
"My bedroom walls." She explained, and my mind was cast to when I had sat in her apple tree, begging her to go out with me, to understand. I remember seeing a flash of bright blue on the walls.
"Yeah, that's good. Safe, familiar. When you throw that up between anyone listening, they should find it hard to get behind. But it takes work – and we all forget from time to time."
"The savant working for the shooter – has he let his shield drop?" her eyes flashed open, and I caught the similarity between her wall colour and her eyes. They were a very similar shade of forget-me-not blue, almost turquoise.
"That's why we know he's good – powerful." I said, shaking my head "Either that or he's long gone, but we doubt it."
"They'll try again?"
"We think so. We hope so, because now we are expecting them, we have a chance of catching them, and they might roll over on the mole in the FBI. But knowing what's in the wind, you be extra careful, promise?" I ran a finger over her hand again and the result was the same as last time; a shiver down the spine, a strong reaction to such a simple touch.
"I promise."
"I'm keeping you a secret," I told her – or was I telling myself? "even from my family. You're too precious to risk anywhere near this mess."