Benen comes into my room through the connected doors while Laurel's finally finished with braiding my hair. "Hello, Benen," I greet formally, nodding at him. I immediately notice that Fitz isn't with him, but don't mention it at that specific second. I then stand up and properly dust myself off, feeling refreshed already.

Laurel, on the other hand, blushes deeply. "H- hi, Benen," she says shyly, waving softly as she looks at her feet in embarrassment.

He waves at her happily, which makes her blush more.

I feign shock. "Laurel!" I exclaim. "You two haven't even started flirting yet! Why are you blushing so much already?!" I laugh when both of them blush the color of a ruby. After I calm down, I ask, "Hey, where's Fitz?" Laurel smiles slyly at me, but I put a finger to my lips to silence her teasing. She pouts, but doesn't say anything.

"He's actually sleeping," Benen says, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. I raise an eyebrow at this, but don't question him. "The levitating thing was really draining for him."

"Oh," I simply say. "Okay."

Benen nods. Before the silence can become awkward, the male Altruistic gently grabs Laurel's hand. "I just need to talk to Laurel for a moment," he says, blushing when Laurel does first. I nod and just look at myself in the mirror, noticing that I don't look tired at all.

After doing so, I look over at the conversing Altruistics. They're whispering so quietly that I can't hear a single word of what they're saying.

But I don't miss the time where Laurel's eyes widen. Like they're practically bulging out of their head.

And how she puts a hand over her mouth after she gasps. Loudly.

She then lets out a giggle before whispering something back happily to Benen. He smiles and hugs Laurel before she can do anything. Blushing, she hugs him back tightly, savoring the hug. I can't help but smile at them. It's a miracle of how they aren't a couple yet. But they are the cutest things ever...

Blushing, she walks over to me. "You are like the sister I've never had," she suddenly blurts out, hugging me. I can't help but tear up as I return the sisterly embrace. After we both pull away, she says, "Benen told me... that... he really likes me. He likes me!" she repeats in more of a gasp than a sentence.

I squeal and hug her. "Well, it's about time he told you!" I say jokingly. After I pull away, I ask, "And what did you say?"

"T- that I do too!" She shrieks in excitement, holding her face in jovial disbelief.

I hold her wrists and jump and down with her squealing.

Benen looks uncomfortable in the background until he looks over at the door, "Fitz! Thank God, I thought that I'd be here alone!"

I hear the admirable chuckle that I cannot seem to forget and blush immediately. "So, does anyone care to explain how I heard squealing in my bathroom as I was taking a shower?" Fitz asks, smirking. "It sounded like it was right outside my door."

Benen smirks as well, both boys laughing when Laurel pouts. Smiling softly, I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear and say, "Sorry, did we disturb you?"

Fitz begins to red the slightest and say in almost a breath, "No, not at all." We both then stare into each other's gaze, my mind taking in every part of his teal eyes and finding myself practically being swallowed into them.

And I would've still been in my daze if it weren't for Laurel and her snapping. I shake my head and get back into reality, smiling sheepishly at the female Altruistic before looking at the two boys, who had decided to talk in hushed voices near the door again.

"Were you thinking about what would've happen if I hadn't interrupted?" Laurel asks, nudging me playfully.

I blush. "Not quite, I was just getting lost in his eyes as usual," I say before I stop again. Laurel squeals and hugs me as I place a hand over my mouth.

I find myself staring at Fitz specifically as he and Benen whisper to each other. Benen looks over at Laurel once and they wave at each other of happily. Fitz and I look at each other and wave softly before looking away, flushing.

And when I look up again, I see Fitz's face show more and more shock as Benen continues to talk. But all of that suddenly disappears when Benen says something. It's replaced with a rather... grateful smile and when Fitz smiles and says something to Benen, it proves my thesis.

"What do you think they're talking?" I ask, leaning closer to Laurel.

Laurel straightens up before replying with, "Most likely about you two, or about us."

I giggle. "I vote for the latter one."

Laurel rolls her eyes. "You and your fancy words."

I scoff teasingly. "And you and your fancy fashion sense."

We both laugh. "We were destined to meet," she says.

"Absolutely."

...

After we all finish dinner, Laurel grabs both Audrey's and my hand, dragging us to the elevator as the boys walk behind us. "Sleepover time!" Laurel merely shouts as the six of us head into the elevator. Somehow, without any arguments, the female Sovereign and I nod and press the buttons to our floors. "Why'd you do that?" Laurel asks curiously.

"We need to get our pajamas and brush our teeth," I explain.

"And grab a pillow and our sheets," Audrey adds, to which I nod.

Donovan smirks, "Well, the girls can't be having all of the fun. Why don't you guys come to my room?"

Benen shakes his head. "Nah, let's have in my room. Then we can see if we can eavesdrop the girls," Benen adds. Snickering when Laurel nudges him as she pouts playfully.

"Who knew that Benny over here has a rebel inside of him?" Donovan asks, poking Benen's shoulder.

"Uh, me." Benen rolls his eyes, and Fitz can't help but laugh at the two of them.

The elevator stops at the sixth floor, and Laurel and Benen get out. "Don't be late!" Laurel chirps in a singsong voice before skipping down the hall.

As the elevator closes, Donovan asks, "Well, should we be late for the fun of it?" he asks, earning a laugh. Audrey rubs her hands together, snickering evilly.

Fitz shakes his head. "Then Laurel would kill us along with them," he points out, gesturing towards Audrey and me. "So might as well live until tomorrow in one piece."

I nod, looking at Donovan warily. "Good choice."

...

Before long, the three of us are in our pajamas and in Laurel's room after brushing our teeth. We set up our sheets and pillows before laying stomach-down. Laurel smiles at Audrey and me before she begins to tell Audrey about today. I blush when I see Audrey's reaction. But I will admit I'm surprised when Audrey smirks and says, "Prove it. Our nerds would never do something that..."

"Romantic?"Laurel asks. "Bold?" She then shows the picture to both of us.

All my breath leaves me when I see Fitz tenderly holding me as if I were the only thing there, and I'm pulling him close as if he's the only support I have from not falling. I see the faint red on his cheeks and look at my own, which are more colored than his. I thought my blond hair covered the two of us, but Laurel has snapped the photo at such an angle that she can see the breathless looks on both of our faces. We're so close to... meeting... that this must've been taken after we said the few words to each other.

"Dang," Audrey says in shock. "Wow. Sophie-" She looks at me. Smirking, she says, "I didn't think you or Fitzie would have the guts to do that."

I merely blush as Laurel says, "Well, you thought wrong!"

The female Sovereign nods. "This was during their telekinesis training or something, right?"

"After I fell from the ceiling," I retort. "I was tied by the leg to Donovan's ceiling light."

"From Fitz?" she asks in disbelief.

"With a teal ribbon."

"The one you have right now?"

I look down at blush self-consciously. "Yeah, that's the one," I admit. I didn't realize that I still had it on. But then again, I don't mind.

"Fitz accidentally tied it to her hand like a bracelet, and it was so cute!" Laurel gushes. "And luckily, Sophie took a shower earlier, so she kept it!"

Audrey nods slowly, taking the information in. "So did you two..?" She doesn't know how to outright say it, so she joins the ends of her fingers together and makes both of her hands touching. "You know."

"Kiss?" Laurel interjects. She sighs, disappointed again. "They were so close, but I just had to butt in. But I took a photo, so I'm glad!"

I can't help but smile at Laurel's energy. Her joy was rather infectious, I must admit. "She even has a collage of our... interactions."

Audrey smirks, although I see that it's a bit strained. "I'm glad I don't have to deal with that. All Donovan did was kiss me on the cheek so I'd stop hunting after Benen-" She then stops after she realizes that she's said too much.

As she blushes a bright pink, I ask, "When was this, Audrey?" I stretch her name out, smiling slyly like Laurel does when I'm with Fitz.

Audrey stutters a bit before saying, "I plead the Fifth."

"Surprised you plead anything that has to do with the government," I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "But once again, when did this happen?"

"While you were passed out," Laurel explains. "Last year." I nod in comprehension as Laurel turns to Audrey. "Did you like it..?" Laurel and I giggle before Audrey replies.

Audrey merely shrugs and looks away from us, her face falling.

I furrow my eyebrows and say, "You seem like you want to ask something, Audrey."

"I do, but-" she looks at us again. "I don't think you want to hear them a year later..." She sighs. "It's just that we're all happy here. I just can't help but think of those things..."

Laurel and I only have to look at each other one time before we know that it's about Jacob and what he did. Swallowing, I say, "A- ask away," surely without as much certainty to hear what she has on her mind, but I won't dismiss it.

She turns to Laurel, who face becomes pale. "Laurel-" she begins, ignoring how Laurel gulps before staring at me. "I saw that you didn't have any bruises on you. Did you see Jacob..?"

They both look at me, and I think back to all of my scars. I feel goosebumps appear on my skin and close my eyes when a chill runs down my spine. I only open my eyes after I replay the fact that Fitz is in the room next to us if anything happens. That I'm in good hands.

Laurel looks down at her own hands, her tears falling slowly. "I- it was awful," she chokes out to Audrey. "She kept screaming, and I was forced to watch..." She looks at me, and I have to use all of my willpower to not cry as well. Instead, I lean over and wipe her tears away with a soft rub of my finger. Audrey also looks like she regrets asking. "And- and then the worst part..."

"What was it?" I ask softly. I knew that we had to talk about this at some point. I just never thought that it would be today.

She looks at me helplessly, her tears falling like waterfalls. She begins to flicker between visibility and invisibility, so Audrey and I hug her tightly her for a minute, making her completely visible again. "It was..." she begins, but lets a sob out instead. She covers her mouth for a moment, and the female Altruistic takes in a shaky breath.

Audrey sighs. "Don't answer that if you don't want to, Laurel," she says sympathetically.

Laurel voices my thoughts from earlier, "No, I n- need to talk about this. It was..." She looks at me before managing to say, "When he threatened to hurt me, but you refused to l- let him... and you got hurt more just to protect me..!" She then leans into my chest and sobs loudly, flickering again. "You suffered..! It sounded so- so painful, S- Sophie..! Why didn't you just let him..?!"

I sigh, letting a tear fall down my face as I tighten my embrace around her. Rubbing her head softly, I say, "Like you said, I'm the sister you never had. That's how I feel about you and Audrey." I pause, watching as Audrey wipes a tear away, but knows that I saw it. "And I won't let you get hurt."

Laurel pulls away, slumping down as her sobs turn into silent tears yet again. Suddenly, she stands up. "I just wanted to be invisible! To get away and to bring Sophie with me! But I didn't know how!" Crying, she turns invisible completely and rushes out of the room.

Audrey and I try to run after her, but we can't see her. Instead, we both rush into Benen's room, causing all three of them to look up at us with confused expressions.

"It's Laurel," I breathe out.

"She's invisible," Audrey adds.

Fitz stands up, narrowing his eyes. I only nod to answer his unspoken question, and he asks instead, "And..? What else?"

"She's gone."