Hey guys! Sorry it's been a little past the deadline...   For those of you who were loyal, faithful, and did not give up on my story, thank you. I mean those two simple words with everything in me. Please enjoy this chapters... it's one of my favorite! 😊

Eating breakfast the next morning was a struggle. Since their hands were tied together, they had to sit next to each other. Both of them were dominant in the right hand and because of the way the string was tied, Fitz had to eat with his left hand.

Honestly, if was pretty funny to watch.

The group laughed, talked, and joked and relaxed in the morning.

They were sitting on the couch and on the chairs in the Vacker's living room.

It was nice for Sophie to catch up with her friends and enjoy herself.

All to soon, lunch time came and that was when everyone had agreed to leave. Fitz and Sophie were untied and Sophie began saying her goodbyes to her friends.

She started with Linh and Tam since they had to leave first. 

"Bye, Linh," She said. "I had a great time with you. I hope you and Keefe work out."

She smiled. "Thanks Sophie. You too."

They hugged and Sophie chatted with Tam for a minute before giving him a hug and telling him goodbye.

Linh pulled her brother by the hand into the light of Everlglen's Leapmaster and then they vanished.

Sophie turned to Dex and have him a bear hug. "I am going to miss you, Dex."

"It's only three days until we see each other again," he replied.

Sophie gave him a quizzical look. 

"You know," he said, "for when we tell the Council our Match. We got our Scrolls on the third day we were here and they told us they would have them ready in a week. So, simple math says-"

"I can do the math," Sophie interrupted. "I just wanted to know what we were meeting up for."

"Oh," Dex laughed. "Glad to see you have math skills."

Sophie smiled to. "I hope you and Marella work out."

"Yeah. Me too. I really like her." 

"And I am sure she likes you to."

Dex smiled and gave Sophie another hug. "Bye, Sophie see you soon."

Sophie waved as Dex stepped into the light.

Sophie looked behind her and saw Keefe telling Fitz and Biana goodbye. Then Keefe turned to Sophie while Biana and Fitz were talking to each other.

"Bye Keefe," Sophie said attempting to keep a straight face.

It was weird telling someone goodbye when you know they have feelings for you but you don't return them. Especially when Keefe didn't know that she knew.

Keefe gave his signature smirk. "Bye Foster."

They hugged each other and Keefe whispered in her ear, "you and Fitz are good together. But if he is ever making trouble, call me and I can whip him into shape."

Keefe smirked and Sophie matched his face before saying, "yes sir!"

With another quick hug, Keefe stepped into the light leaving the Vackers and her.

Sophie turned around and saw Biana behind her.

So she gave Biana a huge hug.

"See you soon, Biana," she said. "And thanks for making this so fun."

"It wasn't all me," Biana said with a smile.

Sophie smiled back and said, "see you soon, Biana."

Biana smiled at Sophie again and then looked at Fitz and then back st Sophie. "I need to use the bathroom," she said leaving the room. "Bye Sophie," she called.

Now it was only Fitz and Sophie and Sophie didn't know what to do.

Fitz moves toward he and they were standing next to each other, facing each other.

Fitz grabbed her hands in his. "What happens next?"

"I... I don't know," Sophie said. "But I don't want you to forget. About.... everything that's happened. Between.... us. I don't want it to go back to normal." Sophie whispered quietly.

Sophie plucked up the courage to look at his face. She was greeted with a warm smile and gentle eyes.

"I could never forget this, Sophie," he said. "Never. But, we never really made it official. Will you be my Match?"

A million emotions ran through her. 

Fear.

Uncertainty.

Happiness.

Hope.

So many emotions at one time. Half were good and half were bad emotions. Sophie didn't know what to say. Being his Match would mean marrying him and having kids. But what choice did she have??

But she was sixteen! Plus, when did she ever let the Council run her?

But this was the boy she had liked since she was twelve. 

Who else was she going to want to me her Match?

No one.

So Sophie said one simple word. "Yes."

Fitz smiled  brightly. "I promise you won't regret it."

"I know I won't regret it."

Sophie thought for a second before saying. "What are we then? Us, I mean. I mean.... you haven't l, uh.... asked me.... you know, to be...."

She was going to say "girlfriend," but suddenly talking to Fitz was hard.

Fitz smirked and Sophie could feel her face burning.

"Sophie?" He said with an amused tone in his voice. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Sophie blushed even harder before mumbling "yes." Too embarrassed, she buried her face in Fitz's chest and hugged him.

"I am going to miss you the most," she whispered.

"It is only three days."

"Still," Sophie said.

She could practically hear Fitz smile.

"I am going to miss you too, Sophie."

They broke apart from their hug and Sophie turned to the Leapmaster.

Before she stepped into the light, she turned around impulsively and kissed Fitz lightly on the cheek. She ran into the light and stepped into the property of Everglen.

She saw Edaline and Grady talking to each other not to far away from where she currently stood.

Seeing them, she dropped her bag in the grass and ran to Edaline and Grady. She hugged them tightly and they hugged her back.

"Sophie! How was it? Did you guys have fun? What did you do?" Edaline questioned.

Grady laughed. "I think you two need to have some girl talk."

Edaline looked giddy. She looked at Sophie. Sophie nodded. Edaline squealed, happy That Sophie had agreed to have 'girl talk.'

Grady chuckled and said, "we missed you kiddo. Where are your bags?"

"I missed you guys too. I left my bag over there," Sophie said pointing behind her. Grady fetched the bag and dropped it off in Sophie's room while Edaline was already getting filled in on all of the details.

"... and then I... um, well, before I left... I kissed Fitz on the cheek?"

Edaline exploded in to girly giggles and Sophie joined her, her faced bright red.

"Woah," Grady said when he walked in. "Who were you kissing?"

"Ugh," Sophie said. "Grady, as I have EMBARRASSINGLY told you before, I ... like Fitz. At the sleepover he... in, he said that he liked me too. Before I left, I kissed him on the cheek. See? Nothing bad."

Grady gave her a look that said I don't care if it was bad or not, Fitz WILL be interrogated.

"Hey, Grady? Can you um... maybe NOT kill Fitz? Please?" Sophie asked.

Grady cracked a smile. "I know, I know. I trust Fitz. A lot more than SOME other boys. But, I still need you to be safe and-"

"Grady," Sophie whined. "We have had this talk a grand total of SIX times, don't you remember?"

Grady smirked. "Of course I remember."

"It our job, as parents," Edaline said, "to keep you constantly embarrassed."

Sophie groaned. "You guys are...something else."

Edaline and Grady laughed. 

"Is that good?" Grady asked.

Sophie shrugged keeping her poker face on. "Depends."

Grady and Edaline laughed and wrapped her in a tight hug. 

"We love you, Sophie," Edaline whispered. 

"I love you guys, too — a lot."

"And we are just trying to keep you safe," Grady added.

Sophie broke away from the hug. "Ugh. We've been through this. I know. Stay safe. Don't be afraid to say 'no' and let the guy know your limits. I know."

"Glad to see you haven't forgotten."

Sophie gave him a glare. "Okay...if you guys don't mind, I am going to take a shower now so..."

Her adoptive parents walked out of the room to leave Sophie to her shower. Actually, she was just saying that to get some much needed alone time. Not that she didn't love her parents — she did — but she had been surrounded by people ever since the sleepover had started. And she just needed some time to herself.

First, she made sure everything in her room was in order. She unpacked her belongings and extravagant dresses. She put other knickknack items away as well. Then she cleaned Iggy's cage.    When she was finished with that FUN task, she actually played with Iggy.

Over the years, Iggy had grown older and ever so slightly less obnoxious. He even had some gray hairs around his mouth. Sophie even had tried to teach him some tricks.

"Up!" Sophie commanded.

Iggy knew this command and obeyed it by jumping up in the air.

"Good Iggy," Sophie  praised while petting Iggy.

"Spin!" Sophie said as she watched Iggy dance in a circle.

Again, Iggy had obeyed, so Sophie praises Iggy.

She played and pet him for a few more minutes, but when Iggy let out a nasty Iggy-fart, Sophie decided playtime was over.

"Cage!" Sophie commanded. 

Sophie was forever grateful Iggy had learned this command; it came in handy sometimes. Iggy jumped into his cage and Sophie looked it. Sticking a hand between the bars, Sophie put a treat down which was eaten quickly and savagely by Iggy.

Sophie  laughed and headed to her shower that she was supposed to take two hours ago.

———

Feeling refreshed after her steamy, hot shower, Sophie ate a late supper with Grady and Edaline. They three of them talked and talked.

Eventually, it was getting late and Sophie decided to head for bed. She was tired. But in a good way. Not a stress or emotional kind of tired. For once in her life she was just tired.

It honestly felt good not to be stressed or worried. It was peaceful - almost blissful - to be tired. And Sophie fell asleep to the lovely feeling of being a normal teenager at last. 

The peace and the feeling didn't last too long, though. 

In her nightmare, she had to watch Fitz die. In front of her. It was a terrible, twisted thing. Sophie didn't ever want to think about it ever happening.

She was scared. Shaking. Tears streamed down her face. She had just witnessed Fitz, her Match, her boyfriend, die.

Sophie was shivering despite being under her soft, fuzzy blanket. 

Maybe having a telepathic conversation with Fitz would make it better. But... she would be waking Fitz up. He had never minded before.

Sophie debates with herself finally deciding that if Fitz didn't answer the third time she called, she would go back to sleep.

With that decision made, Sophie closed her eyes, hugged Ella, and stretched her mind to Fitz's.

(When transmitting, Sophie is italics and Fitz is bold.)

Fitz?

Nothing.

Fitz? Sophie tried again making her mental voice a little stronger.

Silence.

Finally, Sophie tried one more time.

Fitz?? She put a little more volume into her voice than she meant to.

But it hadn't made a difference. Sophie counted 127 seconds and she still didn't get a reply. Sophie sighed, very disappointed, and turned over to try and let sleep find her again.

Before her eyelids dropped shut, she heard something.

Sophie? Were you calling?

It was Fitz!!

I was but after three tries I gave up. You hear me?

Yep! What do you need?

You're voice.

What?

I... I said I needed your voice. I- I had this awful dream, well, nightmare, and needed to hear your voice to make sure you were okay.

Oh. I am sorry Sophie. I....... I missed you. Having you sleep with me, I mean.

I know. I have missed you too. It would be so much easier to just wake up and see you instead of transmitting.

Have you talked with Grady and Edaline? Maybe we could arrange something...

Maybe. I will talk with them tomorrow.

There was a silence before Fitz spoke again, this time his voice was soft and tender.

Um, did you... did you really mean what you did yesterday. Before you left? It was it a dare or something?

Sophie had been hoping Fitz wouldn't bring up the kiss. But, Sophie said the truth.

Of course I meant it, Fitz. I.... really like you. 

I really like you too, Sophie. Another pause of silence. Do you need me to leap over to Havenfield  or will you be good?

I... I think I will be good. Thank you Fitz.

Of course Sophie. Good night.

Good night.

And Sophie did have a good night. For the rest of the night she slept peacefully and dreamlessly. Oh how incredibly lucky she was to have Fitz. How incredibly, incredibly lucky.

Hope you liked that chapter! I did! Life is super busy right now so I probably won't update until March 31st. That isn't too long, actually — less than two weeks. So if you could be faithful and bare with me, I would be grateful. Thanks again!