A/N I was thinking about my Sweet Sixteen, and need to write something, so here you go.

Sophie heard a knock at her door and frowned. "Come in?"

Blonde hair poked around the corner of her door and Keefe smirked at her. "C'mere."

Sophie warily walked over to him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the hallway. They were halfway down the stairs before Sophie could speak. "Keefe, where are we going?"

He didn't answer, just dragging her out the door and holding up a crystal. A blue crystal. Sophie dug in her heels. "Keefe, what on earth is going on?"

Keefe grinned. "You'll see."

Sophie shook her head in exasperation. "You want me to leap to the Forbidden Cities without any explanation at all?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Now come on."

She groaned, but let him pull her into the beam of light he made with the crystal.

A minute later, they reappeared on a familiar street. "Keefe," she hissed. "Seriously, what are we doing here? You know how risky this is! I can't just show up to my human family's house!"

"Relax, Foster." Keefe pulled her to the door, then took a step back. She looked at him over her shoulder, and he motioned at the door. "Go on."

She hesitated. How did he know her parents weren't home?

He sighed. "Trust me, Foster."

"I do."

"Then open the door already!"

She turned to the door and took one more deep breath before turning the doorknob and stepping silently through the doorway. The house was dark, and she took a few steps into the living room. She looked over her shoulder at Keefe. He was leaning against the doorpost, smirking. She turned back to the room just in time to see the lights flick on all at once, glitter shoot into the air, and bodies jump out all around her.

"SURPRISE!" shouted everyone at once.

Sophie jumped back in shock, then recovered and laughed. "What on earth is going on?"

Biana stepped forwards and clicked her tongue. "Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday!"

She had, actually. And just then, she remembered telling her friends about how humans celebrated 'sweet sixteen' parties. "You planned this... for me? Why are we here?"

Just then, Amy bounded forward. "Partly so that I could come. But partly because we have a pool- and I remember how much you used to love pool parties."

Sophie grinned and hugged her sister. "That feels like so long ago."

"Well, duh." Arms wrapped around her from behind, and Keefe rested his chin on the top of her head. "It was like four years ago."

Sophie smiled, unable to believe she had really lived with the elves that long. Sometimes it seemed like that fateful day in the museum had been only yesterday, and sometimes it felt like she had never had another life.

"Wait." She realized something. "Did you say pool party? I don't think I even own a swimsuit anymore."

Biana shook her head. "It's really a human thing."

Any held out a bag. "Biana got me your sizes and I went shopping for all of you. Everyone else is wearing theirs under their clothes."

Sophie lifted Keefe's arms off her shoulders. "Where's the bathroom?"

Amy pointed it out, and Sophie slipped in. She quickly changed into the onepiece, which had an off-one-shoulder ruffle and was decorated in tiny ice cream cones and umbrellas.

"By the way," Sophie called through the door as she balled her clothes up into the bag and stepped back into the living room. "Are you sure Mom and Dad aren't coming home?"

Any nodded. "They had some weird convention or something. They won't be home till like midnight."

The rest of their friends were out on the deck, in their swimsuits, looking warily at the clear sparkling water.

Sophie walked over to the side of the pool, the hot deck making her feet dance a little. She looked around. "So I guess I never noticed that elves don't have pools. Shame."

Biana nodded. "Looks fun."

"It is. I used to love swimming. Especially on a hot day like this." She dipped a toe into the water and shivered. But before she could pull her foot back out, she felt hands on her shoulders. Just as she lost balance, Sophie turned and grabbed a hold of the arm that pushed her.

She splashed into the water and gasped at the sudden shock of cold. When she resurfaced, Keefe was spluttering beside her, flailing a little. She laughed and treaded water.

Keefe finally recovered himself and splashed her. "Hey! Where do you get off pulling me in like that?"

Sophie flicked water at him. "You deserve it. You're the one who pushed me in."

Before he could respond, another splash hit them and Amy surfaced a few feet away. After her, Dex jumped in- then Fitz. Biana refused to jump, opting instead to step in slowly using the stairs.

While Keefe was distracted, Sophie silently swam up behind him and pushed his shoulders to dunk him. He turned around underwater and pushed off the bottom, splashing her as he burst into the air. Sophie wiped the water out of her eyes, laughing. "How are you so good at swimming?"

"I live on the beach! I spend like half of my life in the water."

"I probably should have guessed that."

"You totally should have." He scooped up a handful of water and dumped it on her head.

Sophie spluttered and lost her balance. She slipped under the water, but Keefe caught her arms and pulled her back up. She laughed and pulled her arms free. Then she grabbed a float nearby and pulled herself up onto it. She laid on her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows, hair dripping in her face.

Keefe grabbed the front of the float so that his face was only a few inches away from hers and smiled up at her. "What, afraid of a little water?"

She shook her head. "Nope. But it's a lot calmer up here."

He smirked. "Calmer? That's lame."

"Yeah it kinda is, isn't it?"

"Completely." He flicked a little water at her and she reached down to splash him back.

Amy swam up. "You guys are cute."

Sophie blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Sure."

Keefe pulled up on the float so that his nose bumped hers. "You are cute."

Her face felt even hotter than the back of her neck- Amy must have 'forgotten' sunscreen. "Stop it, Keefe."

"Can't make me," he sing-songed before pulling up again to kiss her. She gave him a glare that everyone could tell was fake.

Amy laughed and swam away to try to convince Biana to jump in. Sophie turned back to Keefe and let her head fall down to his to kiss him back. He kicked up and took one hand off the float to tuck her hair behind her ear. He left his hand behind her head and pulled her down into a long kiss.

"I changed my mind!" called Amy. "You guys are gross!"

Keefe took advantage of Sophie's distraction and grabbed her arms- pulling her into the water headfirst. She wiggled free and spluttered blindly for a few seconds until her hand caught Keefe's arm and she used it to pull herself up for a breath. Then she wiped the water out of her eyes and glared at him. "Keefe."

He smirked. "Yes, Foster?"

"You are in so much trouble." She tried to dunk him again, but his feet touched the bottom of the pool and she couldn't knock him over. After a few more seconds of trying to push him over- and probably looking pretty silly- she gave up. "Why do you have to be so tall?"

He laughed and helped her sit on the side of the pool. "It's a gift."

She stuck out her tongue at him. "A gift I was cheated out of." She looked around. Biana had finally gotten in, and she and the others were locked in an epic splash battle. Keefe noticed too and slipped under the water, pushing off and resurfacing in the middle of it to launch a sneak attack.

Sophie watched from the side, kicking water and laughing so hard her sides hurt. Eventually, her friends got tired and floated on their backs- pretending to be dead, of course. Because something about a pool party will turn any teenager into a kid again. Sophie kicked water at them until Amy pulled herself out of the pool and ran into the house. She came out a minute later with a stack of towels and a basket of snacks.

Before she even finished setting down the basket, Keefe had sprung out of the pool and was digging through it. "WOAH WHAT IS THIS?"

Amy looked at him weirdly. "That... is a bag of potato chips."

Sophie stood up and walked over to the table. She wrapped a pale blue towel around her shoulders and flipped through the snacks. She smiled and grabbed a pack of Nutty Bars. "You remembered!"

Amy nodded. "You used to eat so many of those."

Sophie laughed and peeled it open. She broke off a piece and popped it into her mouth, closing her eyes and chewing. "Perfect as always." Just then, someone snatched it out of her hands and her eyes popped open. "Keefe!"

Keefe smirked and bit a big chunk off the Nutty Bar. Then his eyes widened. "Oh my TOMPLES THIS IS BETTER THAN MALLOWMELT."

"Hey," Dex protested. "That's my expression!"

Keefe shook his head. "You can have it. Didn't work as well as I thought it would."

Sophie reached for the candy, but Keefe pulled it out of her reach. "Not gonna happen. Dex's expression might be lame, but this human food isn't. I'm holding on to this."

Sophie snatched another one out of the basket and sat down on the side of the pool. Keefe sat down next to her a minute later and put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, but then his arm slid down towards her hand. She pulled the candy away, laughing.

Keefe gave up, but left his arm over her shoulders. A minute later, Biana sat on her other side and laughed. Sophie looked at her sideways. "What?"

Biana covered her giggles with her hand. "Oh, nothing."

Sophie looked at her again, then realized her hands were empty. She looked at Keefe- who had a mouth full of chocolate wafers. She slapped his arm. "Keefe!"

Keefe shrugged. "What can I say? I'm addicted."

Sophie leaned her head back and groaned. "Keeeeeeeeefeeeeee."

He shrugged again, then pulled another one out of his pocket. He unwrapped it and broke off a piece, then popped it into her mouth. She closed her eyes and leaned into his chest, pulling her towel tighter around her.

Dex came over and sat by Biana, and barely five minutes passed before his arm was around her. Fitz and Amy opted to get back in the pool and sneak-splash them every once in a while.

Amy got out after about an hour, saying she had to get something. A minute later, she came back singing Happy Birthday and carrying a tiny round store-bought cake. The rest of her friends joined in the song as Sophie turned red. When they were done, Amy cut the cake. "Sorry it's kind of small. It was the only thing I could get with my allowance."

Sophie shook her head. "This is awesome, Amy! Thank you so much!"

Amy divided up the cake, insisting on it being perfectly even- though Sophie was pretty sure she took the piece with the flower on it on purpose. Little sisters will be little sisters.

Eventually, after finishing the cake, it got dark and Amy made them leave- afraid her parents would get home early. Sophie huddled in her towel, cold air chilling her wet hair. She gave her sister a hug. "Thanks, Amy. Best birthday party ever."

Amy hugged her back. "Visit soon, okay? I missed you."

"I missed you too."

Biana tapped her shoulder. "Grady and Edaline just hailed. They're wondering if you'll be home soon."

Sophie nodded. "Few minutes." She hugged Amy one more time, then released her and stepped away.

Keefe stepped in front of her and gave her a big hug. "I'll miss you, Foster."

Sophie squirmed free. "Keefe, I'll see you tomorrow."

He wiped a nonexistent tear from his eye. "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

Amid groans from all of their friends, Sophie hugged Amy one last time and held up her home crystal. Keefe immediately took one of her hands, and Biana took the other. Dex took Biana's other hand, and Fitz sighed and took Dex's hand. Sophie stepped into the light, surrounded by her friends, thinking about how lucky she was to have had such an amazing sweet sixteen.