Unedited

I was chilling on the bench in the hallway outside Doc's lab looking at random stuff on Pinterest when I heard a crash. What is that fool doing now? I heard more thumping. Is he wrestling one of his lab rats again?

The door crashed open. I looked up to see Doc's hair smoking.

"What'd you blow up this time?"

Doc straightened and adjusted his soot-stained lab coat. "For your information, I didn't blow anything up. I knocked over a beaker, which then hit one of my projects, which then fell off the table and unplugged the microwave. When I bent over to plug it in again, I leaned against the door release button, which knocked over the Bunsen burner I had been using. The burner fell over and set fire to my hair."

I full on cackled for a few minutes. Somehow I managed to gasp out, "Bro, are you living in a cartoon?"

Doc scowled at me. Unfortunately, it only made him look more comical, standing there with his hands on his hips, the top of his head singed except for a safety goggle shaped patch of hair, and a scowl. I snapped a quick picture before doubling over in laughter. He looks so stupid, the poor dear.

Before I could mock my fool of a brother any further, Victor came up to us. "Hey, Alex, where did you want us to meet up to discuss the case?"

Stifling my giggles, I said, "At Doc's lab. You're in the right place. We're just waiting on Bee."

Doc's face paled, and I did my level best not to start maniacally laughing again. "Bee's coming? She can't see me with my hair like this." Doc started pacing, muttering to himself about faulty microwave producers and how I'm a horrible sister for not warning him.

Victor grabbed my beanie and plopped it on Doc's head just as Bee turned the corner, saying, "No, Mom, you can't set them on fire. You can't gas them either." She saw us and quickly said goodbye before hanging up on her mom. Since my mom had died, Bee's parents, Xena and Seth, had taken quite a liking to me, treating me as their second daughter. Xena must have found out about our current lack of boyfriends.

Xena Sadler, Bee's mom, was ex-military, and Seth, Bee's father, was a physical therapist. They had met when Xena had gotten shot in the calf, and Seth was her physical therapist for a while. They met up in Parkstead after the war and got together. They were adorable and had helped me get through losing my parents right after finding them again.

I came back to Earth, and gestured towards Doc's lab. "Let's get to it then. Oh, and I hope you're sure you forbade every method of killing the guys. Wouldn't want them to die. Much."

Bee winked at me as she followed Doc and Victor in to the room and laughed. "I may have forgotten a few." I smirked and followed her into Doc's lab. Bee had started coming out of her shell after I dumped Brandon, at first to make sure I was okay, but after that it seemed like she just couldn't stand being in her room. Maybe because she'd spent so many nights in there with him. Soon we're going to need to have an intervention.

I shut the door behind me and opened my mouth, about to launch into the mini speech I had decided to improvise, when I felt a buzz come from my pocket. I must have gotten an email. I checked my phone, and lo and behold, an email from Rafe awaited me.

I read it, and once I was done I threw my phone across the lab. "That asshole has a death wish. For sure," I snarled.

Doc picked up my phone and looked it over to make sure it was okay. Of course he looks to make sure the technology is fine first. He designed my phone case, he should know the phone is intact. He looked over at me and asked, "What happened?"

I gritted my teeth. "Rafe torched my case. He decided the doors, doorway, sextant, and key are all irrelevant, and that we should focus on the jewels. He gave Brandon the new case, and Rachel is shadowing him."

Doc shook his head at me. "That doesn't mean you get to throw your stuff around. I get it, Rafe is an ass. Doesn't mean you get to be one."

Victor pushed off from the wall he was leaning against and came to stand before me. He leaned down and his face came very close to my face. Why's my heart fluttering? I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. Oh, I was dying from oxygen-deprivation.

I looked up into his gorgeous hazel eyes and ignored the persistent heart flutters. "You're breathing my air, Katz. Move."

Victor smirked. "Why? Am I too close for you?" He moved in a little closer, his lips almost touching mine. "You're cute when you're mad." Alright that's enough of that.

I punched him in the stomach, stepped around him, and brought a knife up to his throat. "Just because I'm mad, doesn't mean I'm any less deadly." I released him, and stepped back.

Victor rubbed his throat and grinned, channeling the Cheshire Cat. "Are you thinking clearly now?"

I paused for a second before chuckling. "I guess beating you up is therapeutic."

Victor chuckled too. "Happy to be your punching bag. Any time."

Doc cleared his throat. "Alright, that's enough flirting, you twisted love birds. We need to get back on track. Bee, what do you think we should do?"

Bee gave me a serious look. "Girl, we need to solve this case before they do, and show them that we are not as weak as they think we are."

I switched into serious mode. "You're right. We're all allowed one pro bono case a month, right? How would y'all feel about making this your pro bono case of the month?"

Bee responded immediately, "A chance to show up the terrible trio? I'm in."

Doc sighed. "You would be hounding me to do random stuff for this case anyways, so I might as well be part of the whole thing. Count me in too."

Victor cocked his head thoughtfully. "Sounds interesting. I'll help out too."

I gave him a stern glare. "No killing."

He threw up his hands and protested, "Would I do that?" Vic surveyed our disbelieving faces and sighed mock-disappointedly. "Wow, none of you have any faith in me. I guess I know where I stand. Fine fine, I won't kill anyone."

We continued staring at him

He scowled before saying, "I promise."

We were all still for a moment before I said, "Well what is everyone waiting for? Inspirational music? Move your butts."

Victor snorted and we all started moving. Bee and I pulled out our laptops, Doc got on his desktop, and Victor pulled out his phone. I was looking up the various jewels and their uses and symbolizations, Bee was looking for connections between the stolen items, Doc was trying to decipher where the next heist was going to take place, and I think Victor was playing Candy Crush.

I found a website that listed spiritual meanings of all the jewels that had already been stolen. Alexandrite could symbolize change, spinel was associated with protection, aquamarine with hope, and amethyst gave clarity. Other than that, all I found was different websites advertising jewelry.

Tired of looking at expensive jewelry, I sat back and listened to the sounds of Candy Crush.

The next thing I knew Bee was shaking me awake and Victor was giving Doc a bro hug. "What's going on?"

Victor said, "Your genius brother figured out where the next theft is going to take place."

I looked over at Doc who was grinning madly over his desktop. "How?"

Doc answered, "The jewels had all been stolen in different states. Bee noticed that all the jewels were specially cut by one person. I looked into her history, and the jeweler traditionally cut jewels in sets for ornamental pieces. It wasn't hard to determine the last jewel based off of the jewels already stolen. A sapphire, waiting to be sold in a store in Honolulu."

I whooped and high fived Bee. "Finally. We're going to Hawaii."

She laughed gleefully. "I'll grab some clothes from Sophie, you grab the weapons?"

I nodded and grabbed Vic. "Come on, Candy Crusher. Sophie will need your measurements if she's going to have some kickass clothes ready for you."

I dragged him along to Sophie's room and opened the door to find her making out with her girlfriend. "Sorry Soph, we'll wait 'till you're done." She shot me a thumbs up before I closed the door.

I laughed. "This could take a while."

Victor smiled. "Gives me some time to get to know you."

I raised an eyebrow. "And give away my air of mystery? I think not."

"How about twenty questions?"

"Five."

"Fifteen."

I leaned back. "Ten. Final offer."

Victor sighed. "Fine. First question. What's your favorite color?"

"You're really wasting a question on my favorite color?"

"I'm curious. Sue me."

I sighed, but couldn't keep the grin off my face. "Purple. Nine questions left."

"How'd you meet Bee?"

"My parents introduced us."

Victor pouted. "That's all I'm getting?"

"Yep. Next."

"Dude, that's not fair. That shouldn't count."

I chuckled. "A question's a question, and those were questions. You've got seven questions left. Don't waste them."

He frowned. "Fine. Why'd you leave the Unseen?"

"I met my parents, they were murdered. The usual. When I couldn't solve their murder Unseen-style, I joined this department."

"Oh. Are you okay now?"

"Yeah. I went through a rough patch, but I'm fine now. I'll never truly be over it, but I'm in a good place. You've got five now."

"What's your favorite type of cheese?"

I snorted. "What an about-face in the conversation."

"Hey, you can tell a lot about a person through their favorite kind of cheese."

I shook my head. "Mozzarella. Four."

"What's your favorite restaurant?"

"Don't have one. Three.

"What's your favorite flower?"

"Marigolds. Two."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

I ignored those pesky butterflies making their home in my stomach. "Nope. Last question."

Vic took a deep breath. "Will you g-"

He was interrupted by the door opening. Damn. Now I'm curious about what he was going to ask.

Sophie's girlfriend left, lipstick smudged, and Sophie popped her head out. "You guys can come in now. Thanks for waiting."

Victor shrugged at me. "My question was going to be 'Will you get me a yogurt,' but it's too late now." Then he went inside. Why yogurt? Why not something like a candy bar? With the other questions he'd been asking, any other girl would think he was about to ask me out... I pondered that for a minute before shaking my head. Nah.