What if this is pointless? What if he doesn't answer?

Claire took a deep breath. No harm in trying Dad's cell again, right? It had been a few weeks since her last attempt to reach him.

"Hey, Spencer?" she asked.

Spencer looked up from the laptop and smiled. "Claire! How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if I could try calling my dad again."

"Of course." Spencer stood up and sat the laptop on the camp chair that was on the verge of falling apart. "I think Dr. Williams has the phone."

Claire followed Spencer to the other side of the clearing, where Dr. Williams was deep in discussion with the scientist staying in their camp. She happily handed the phone over to Spencer, and Claire and him headed to a quiet corner of the camp.

Heart racing, Claire punched in her Dad's number and held the phone up to her ear. It rang once. Twice. She'd resigned herself to another command to leave a voicemail when the ringing stopped.

"Hello?"

Claire couldn't believe her ears. "Dad?"

"Claire?"

Claire's face broke into a smile. "Dad! I was so worried. You weren't answering for weeks."

"I'm so sorry. My phone died and I was being followed for a while. By the time I was able to make calls again, I couldn't reach you through your ship's phone. I was afraid it was the one they mentioned on the news."

"It was. After it sank, everything was really chaotic."

"I'm just glad you two are okay."

A pit opened up in Claire's stomach. "Dad, we don't know where Victoria is. She went missing right before the ship sank."

"I know."

Claire frowned. "You do?"

"Yes. She told me everything." After a moment, he clarified. "Victoria's with me."

~

After narrowly escaping SCI, Victoria and the Neutrals wandered in the woods for a few hours. They were finally forced to stop so that the weaker kids could get some rest.

"We need food and water," Ben said. "Some of them might not make it much longer."

"I'll go into town," Victoria offered.

"I'll come with you."

Victoria shook her head. "Stay here and look after them. I'll be fine."

Seeing no other choice, Victoria stole some water bottles, bread, and various snacks that she hoped would have enough nutritional value to sustain them. She entered a supermarket, grabbed a backpack, and shoved everything inside. She used a copy as a distraction when confronted, and managed to escape with a decent haul. She did this several more times over the next few weeks.

Her second trip was the one where she saw the news report on the ship that sank off the California coast.

The Fortuna was gone. For all Victoria knew, the Supers could be too. If they were still alive, they were on the other side of the country. She had no way to contact them. She hoped Claire would contact her telepathically, but as the days passed that hope faded.

"I'm so sorry," Ben had told her when she came back with the news.

"If I had a phone, I could try some of our cell numbers. But I only remember a few of them." Victoria paced back and forth. "Maybe I could try calling my dad again."

"Where are we going to get a phone?" Max asked from where he was lying on the ground. He and the others were improving, but fully recovering from the effects of SCI's experiments would take time.

Ben sat down next to Max. "Maybe we could go to someone's house. Ask to borrow their phone."

"Sounds like a great way to get arrested," Max muttered.

"The majority of teenagers in the country are normal kids," Victoria said. "We probably wouldn't be suspicious."

Max propped himself up with an elbow. "Yeah, except that your face has been on the news. People will recognize you."

"I have to try." What other choice did she have? "Besides, if I can get a hold of someone, they'll be able to help all of us."

"She has a point," Ben said. He looked at Max. "Maybe going back into the city is a bad idea, but if we head north..."

Max studied Ben for a long moment. "Fine," he finally relented. "Worth a shot, I guess."

They traveled as fast as they could manage. SCI choppers frequently passed by overhead. Victoria felt hollow.

Nearly three weeks after their escape from SCI, they found a quiet neighborhood they decided to try. Ben knocked on a few doors before someone finally answered. Victoria stayed behind him, her hair pulled up in a cap and her eyes hidden behind sunglasses. It was sunny enough, thankfully, that she didn't look suspicious.

The woman who answered the door agreed to let them make a call. She brought them a cell and didn't take her eyes off Victoria while she dialed her father's number. If he didn't answer, she would try any other number she could remember.

If no one answered, she had no idea what they'd do. Head to California, maybe? God, how long would that even take?

It wouldn't come to that, thankfully. Dad answered the phone.

"Victoria. You're alive. I saw the news about your ship and I was afraid you hadn't made it off."

"I wasn't on the ship when it sank," Victoria told him. She explained her situation, keeping her voice low so the woman who's phone she held couldn't hear.

"So you don't know where Claire is?"

"I don't." Tears stung at Victoria's eyes. "I have no idea where any of them are."

"It's okay. We'll figure it out. I'll come find you."

"Where are you?" Victoria asked.

"California. My parents had a cabin east of L.A., and they left it to me when they died. I figured it'd be a good place to hide out, for now."

California. It seemed so far. "How long will it take you to get to D.C.?" Victoria asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'll come as fast as I can. I'll need to meet you somewhere, though. Do you know where you are?"

"Not exactly. Somewhere north of D.C."

"Okay, hang on a minute. Let me find a map."

Victoria glanced at the woman, who seemed to be growing impatient. "I'm so sorry, we'll only be another minute."

Dad told Victoria that if they headed back the way they came, they should be able to find the University of the District of Columbia. "Hopefully a semi-large group of teens won't look too out of place there," he said.

"Great. We'll go there and wait for you." Victoria hesitated a moment. "And, Dad, um, there's twelve of us."

"That's fine. I'll rent a van."

"Great." Victoria breathed a sigh of relief. "See you soon."

~

The world outside flew by in a blur. Victoria rested her head against the window, eyes still red from the tearful reunion with her father. Now that they were on their way to the camp the Supers had set up, their family was almost back together.

Victoria twisted in her seat and glanced back at the others. The van was just barely big enough to fit the thirteen of them, Dad included. In the row behind her, both Max and Ben had fallen asleep. Most of the kids were asleep, in fact.

The cell phone in the cup holder rang. Victoria cast it a nervous glance. Dad grabbed the phone and answered. "Hello?"

After a moment, his eyes widened and he smiled. "Claire?"

Victoria sat up.

"I'm so sorry. My phone died and I was being followed for a while. By the time I was able to make calls again, I couldn't reach you through your ship's phone. I was afraid it was the one they mentioned on the news." A pause. Then, "I'm just glad you two are okay."

Victoria listened as he explained to Claire that he had just picked up her and the others. "Where are you?" he asked. "We can come meet you." Another pause. "It will take us a few days to get to you. And I haven't been able to pay my phone bill, so I could lose service any day now. But we'll see you soon."

"Tell her Ivy's brother is with us," Victoria told him.

"Hang on." Dad held out the phone. "How about you tell her?"

Grinning, Victoria took the phone. "Claire!"

"Victoria! Dad said he picked you up—what happened?"

"I'll have to tell you the full story later. Basically I got picked up by SCI, but I found the kids they had and we broke out. Tell Ivy Ben's with us."

"I will."

"How long ago did you wake up from your coma?" Victoria asked.

"Right after the ship—well, did you hear about the ship?"

"It was on the news. I've been worried sick for a month. I had no idea if you guys were okay or not."

"Well, we're all good. Ivy was arrested and Tyler went missing, but they're both back now. And Malcolm—well, it'll be easier to explain everything when you get back."

"Of course." Victoria hesitated. "Is—is Summer there?"

"Yeah, she's here somewhere. Would you want to talk to her?"

Victoria dismissed the idea, as much as her heart ached. "No, I'll talk to you all when we get there."

"Okay. See you soon."

Victoria smiled. "See you soon."

***

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