READ THE FIRST PART OF THE AUTHORS NOTE!!

A/n: Speed up- this is one year after the last chapter. It's a big jump but I need to speed things up. Nothing has changed except they're all on year older. (I'm still calculating their ages in my mind but but my brain is dead and filled up with French vocab so Idk.) Also, Sophie and Keefe will get married once I find out how an elf wedding would go. I don't want to come up with some fake wedding only to find out they go an entirely different way. I sent a message through her tumblr so it might take a couple months but I'm sorry. I just can't have them married until I'm sure how the weddings go. Other characters will get married along the way but only because I don't have to dwell on what their weddings are like I have to do for Sophie and Keefe.

Extra long, as a sorry for the craziness we call my schedule

AND I KNOW THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE POSTED BY FRIDAY BUT I CAME HOME 'SICK' FROM SCHOOL EARLY ON THURSDAY AND I ENDED MISSING SOME IMPORTANT FRENCH VOCAB I'M HAVING A TEST ON TOMORROW AND WAS STUDYING LIKE CRAZY EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T PRONOUNCE THE WORDS (i'm so going to fail because pronunciation is part of it):

"SOPHIE!" Biana came bouncing into Sophie's room, shouting. "I HAVE NEWS!"

Sophie looked up from her book, an eyebrow raised. "Good, bad, or Switzerland?" 

"Good. Really good." Biana's eyes lit up.

"You and Dex got engaged?"

"No."

"Fitz and Ashla got engaged?"

"Not that I know of."

"Then what's the good news?" Sophie asked, a frown on her face.

"One of the councilors are stepping down!" Biana cheered. "Guess who's next for being in the council?" Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Leto!"

Sophie's eyes widened. "That's awesome! He totally deserves it!"

Biana nodded. "See, good news! Oh, I forgot! I'm going to be an auntie!"

Sophie's eyes widened. "What, but how-"

"Alvar and Maisie are having a baby! Maisie wanted to tell you herself but she's avoiding Keefe and whenever she wants to see you, Keefe is there," Biana explained.

"Sometimes I forget Alvar is your brother," Sophie admitted. "Like, my brain connects that Fitz and Alvar are siblings, and you and Fitz are siblings. . . But not you and Alvar. It's weird and I think I'm getting a head ache just thinking about it."

Biana rolled her eyes. "I forget he's my brother sometimes too, except it's usually on purpose." She let out small laugh at her own joke, making Sophie roll her eyes. "Anyways, speaking of married couples. . . How are you and Keefe?"

"Not married."

"Oh come on!" Biana cried. "Why won't you guys get married and have babies already? Is that too much for me to ask?"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "We've only been dating for like... A year and a half," she said, "and that is not enough time for me."

"So if Keefe asked, you'd say no?" Biana raised an eyebrow.

Sophie frowned. "I. . . Don't know." She laid back on her bed. "I mean, I love him."

"Yeah."

"And I do plan on marrying him someday."

"Damn straight."

"And I love him."

"We covered that."

"But. . . I'm scared, you know?" Sophie sighed. "I mean, we have basically literal forever before us. That thousands of years that I'm just stuck with Keefe. I mean, I'm scared I'll get bored of him. It's stupid, really. There are couples who have done just that who're still as in love as ever and Keefe is just so interesting I don't think I could ever get bored but. . . There's still that feeling."

Biana frowned. "I never really thought about it like this."

"Maybe it's just a human thing," Sophie said, shrugging with a small smile on her face.

Biana rolled her eyes. "You're really smart, you know? You think about the stuff no one else does." She sighed.

"The Back Swan created me to think like this, I think," Sophie said, sighing. "This is getting depressing kind of."

Biana nodded. "So, next to the not married, how are you and Keefe?"

"Perfect, but you know that. We get into small fights a lot, but that's healthy, right? Keeps it interesting. I think perfect relationships where you never fight or anything are boring." Sophie bit her lip. "You and Dex?"

"We're. . ." She grinned, after trailing off the start of her sentence."I think we're not even close to perfect, which makes it perfect."

Sophie grinned. "The best relationships."

___

"Stop stealing my girlfriend," Dex complained to Sophie, walking into her room while Sophie and Biana were in the middle of going through Sophie's old family album.

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Stop stealing my only friend who is a girl," she retorted. "Well, I mean I'm still friends with Ashla, but that's beside the point."

Dex rolled his eyes. "You're so dumb."

"You're stupid."

"You're an idiot!"

"You. . . Have no friends! Ha!" Sophie started to cheer, and Dex laughed.

"Dex, we were having fun!" Biana complained, not affected by Dex and Sophie's argument. "You're so annoying."

"Hey, who's side are you on?" Dex scowled playfully.

"Um, fries before guys!"

"We don't even eat fries," Dex retorted.

"Which just goes to show how much we are against guys," Sophie said, nodding.

"Oh, come on. You and Keefe are attached at the hip, you can't pull off this lie." Dex rolled his eyes.

"We are not!" Sophie shouted. "Why does everyone always say that about me and Keefe? Look at. . . Fitz and Ashla! They're always keeping contact at all times and don't go anywhere without each other! She even doesn't come to our girl nights because Fitz isn't allowed to come." Sophie sighed. 

"It's probably because you always get so worked up over it. It's cute." Keefe walked into the room. He kissed her cheek and sat down on her bed next to her. "Hey guys." 

They waved and Sophie scowled at him. "It is not cute."

Keefe smiled at her. "It kind of is."

She rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here?" 

"I heard Dex and Biana was here. Decided to make it a party. Fitz and Ashla will be here in a few minutes," he said, grinning. "Why is everyone gathered here, anyways?"

"Me and Biana were just hanging out and Dex came to see her and then you came here," Sophie said to him, sneaking a look at Dex and Biana who were in a deep conversation.

"Oh, cool. You're fine with me inviting Fitz and Ashla over, right?" He raised an eyebrow, and she nodded.

"They're my best friends, why wouldn't I be fine with it?" She smiled softly and leaned over to peck his lips lightly. "Did we have plans today?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I just felt like coming over."

She nodded, and looked over at Biana who was grinning at them. "What?" Sophie asked.

"Nothing, just wondering when Fitz and Ashla will be here," Biana dismissed. "Keefe?"

"Um, about-" Sophie's door opened, cutting him off. Everyone turned to the grinning couple holding hands in the doorway. "Now," he finished.

"Ashla!" Biana squealed, running over and hugging her. "We haven't talked in so long! You really need to come to our next gossip night. You missed last week's topic of the big wedding scandal between Marella and Cael!"

"Wedding scandal? Now this I wanna hear," Keefe cut in. "Let's gossip!"

Everyone laughed and sat down. Sophie and Keefe sat down on Sophie's bed, Biana sat in Sophie's beanie chair with Dex sitting on the ground next to her, and Fitz sat on the ground across the floor from Dex with Ashla laid down next to him on her stomach.

"Oh, you guys are gonna love this!" Biana squealed. "So, you know how Cael broke up with Stina for Marella?" Everyone nodded. "Well, Marella accidentally said why she accepted to his parents while picking out a dress with his mom."

"You're kidding?" Fitz laughed. "That's awesome!"

"Even better, he tried calling the wedding off but the council wouldn't let him," Biana finished.

"And Stina started going out with some guy off her list and she turned Cael down when he tried to get back together with her and fix things," Sophie added. "The entire thing is screwed up."

"Man, I'm happy you chose Keefe and not him," Biana commented.

"Same," she said, leaning her head on Keefe's shoulder. "Not that it would be him if it wasn't Keefe."

"There is no, wasn't Keefe," Biana said with a scoff. "You guys are like. . . Relationship goals."

The two looked at each other and laughed. "Not really, no," Sophie said with a laugh in each word. 

"Um, yeah," Ashla said, grinning. "I wish I had a relationship like you guys."

"Hey!" Fitz protested. "I'm not that bad."

She rolled her eyes. "You, shh, peanut gallery."

"I mean... I don't want your relationship, exactly. I love my relationship with Dex," Biana said. "I just think your relationship is just so... Ugh."

"Yeah, that's what I meant, too," Ashla told everyone, but looked up at Fitz. "You know I love you," she told him, rolling her eyes.

He grinned down at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I do."

"And you said we're cute," Sophie said sarcastically, pointing to the two.

"Oh, we have awesome news, by the way!" Ashla shouted out of no where, sitting up.

"Good?" Biana raised an eyebrow.

"Really good," Fitz said, looking at Ashla. "Who should say it?"

She bit her lip. "Um. . . You say it, I'll get too excited and start squealing."

"What is it?" Sophie prompted, literally sitting on the edge of her seat. 

"Well, Ashla and I are-"

"We're getting married!" Ashla squealed, cutting him off. They both grinned at each other while Biana stood up and started shrieking.

"MY BROTHER'S GETTING MARRIED!" Biana shouted.

"Congratulations!" Sophie shouted, barely being heard over over Biana. She hugged Ashla. "You guys are really meant for each other."

"Thanks so much, Sophie!" Fitz said, smiling at Ashla before looking back at her. "It means a lot coming from you."

Sophie's smile widened. "Hey, I gave you my blessing more than a year ago."

"And I gave you my blessing as well." He sent a small look at Keefe then looked back at her. "Tell me when you're ready, by the way. Keefe doesn't want to ask until you're ready."

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I guess I'll tell you when."