Unedited.

"I thought my mind was impenetrable." Sophie told Mr. Forkle, who was pacing in Alden's office.

"It is. There are two options here. One: Someone in the Neverseen got you to trust them, and somehow slipped past your barrier." Mr. Forkle said. "Are you saying this is my fault?" Sophie asked. "No, the only person at fault is the person who wiped your memories."

"But I don't trust any of the Neverseen." Sophie said wincing as Elwin placed a burning salve on her hand. "That leads me to believe the second option." Mr. Forkle said. "What is it?" Sophie asked, as Elwin checked her reflexes, before moving to place a salty tasting salve on her split lip, and other cuts on her face. Mr. Forkle sighed, "There is always a choice, Sophie." He said holding up a dark vile. Sophie recognized it immediately.

"No!" Dex said jumping from his seat. He recognized it as easily as Sophie. "Is that..." Elwin looked at the bottle of pure limbuim. Sophie could still feel the sting of the needle in her hand, how it felt like every muscle was swelled and heavy, how her blood roared trying to rush through her veins that felt to closed.

"Sophie is allergic to that stuff!" Keefe said. "You said she almost died...twice."

"And I refuse to have Sophie put her life in danger, when I have no medicine prepared." Elwin said. "Physic will have some." Mr. Forkle said, watching Sophie, as everyone put in their objections. "This!" Mr. Forkle raised his voice silencing everyone. "Decision is up to Sophie." He said. "How could my mind be broken if I didn't fade or anything?" She asked. "You've been conjoured, something I didn't even know could happen to an elf. By reading your memories I see it was beyond painful, which made your mind weak, allowing someone to slip in." Mr. Forkle said.

"Sophie don't do this." Edaline begged. Sophie shook her head looking away from her friends. "They got into my head...they messed with my brain, my memories....they were playing with my sanity." Sophie said quietly, but in the office it sounded like thunder. Edaline had cut Sophie's and Myth's ties with the brother, though it felt as if all senses were muffled for five minutes, Sophie and Myth had survived.

Without another word Sophie reached for the bottle. "Someone better answer the gate for Physic." Mr. Forkle said. Della went away instantly. Sophie stared at the full bottle that felt like it weight thirty pounds in Sophie's hand. She turned the bottle...around and around. Death in a bottle. The small waves she was causing slapped against the glass, like a storm wanting to be free.

"Sophie..." Dex took a seat next her "This is your choice..." He rubbed his side, Sophie knew that was where Brant burned him. "Just..." Dex's face burned. "Just please promise me you'll be okay." He said quietly, his hair falling in his eyes. Sophie placed her hand on his shoulder. "I promise Dex." She said. He nodded. "That's good enough for me." He stood up and strode out of the office. Biana stared after him before looking at Sophie. She smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow...or whenever you wake up. You and I." She said pointing to Sophie then herself. "Have things we need to talk about." She said smiling she hurried after Dex. Sophie looked up, at Tam and Linh. They smiled encouragingly before they left.

Leaving, Keefe, Fitz, Grady, Edaline, Alden, and Mr. Forkle. "Are you sure about this Sophie?" Grady asked. Sophie shook her head. "No. But I'm not letting them get into my head again." Sophie said. Grady and Edaline hugged her tight. "You better take care of her." Grady told Mr. Forkle. "I have no other plans then doing just that." He replied. Physic strode in, with her bright hot pink masquerade mask. Elwin's mouth popped open as he stared at her.

"Well Sophie, looks like will be taking care of you again." Physic said as she pulled an enormous syringe, out of her bag. Sophie swallowed. "Looks like it." She said, her heart skipping a few times before hammering in her chest. Elwin turned back to his own bag. "So what's going to happen?" He asked. "First. Sophie is going to move to a room where she will be comfortable in."

"The guest room?" Fitz offered. "Perfect." Physic nodded. Sophie stood, as her stomach flipped and churned with fear. Face everything and rise. Sophie repeated Alvar's words. Her knees felt weak but she still stood. Physic smiled easily. "You look as pale as a sheet. I saved you once didn't I?" She took Sophie's arm. "I can do it again..Elwin I'm going to need your help." Physic said as she took the bottle from Sophie's shaking hand. "Right." Elwin said as he grabbed his bag. Sophie let herself be lead out of the office, like a lamb being lead by shepherds. She gave one glance over her shoulder, to see Fitz and Keefe, looking worried.

Physic closed the guest room door, and Sophie sat on the bed. "First, we'll have to give her cleaning elixir, to get all the pollution and human air out of her." Physic told Elwin as she started setting out a lime of elixirs.

"Sophie. You might want to change into more comfortable clothes." Elwin told Sophie his eyes never leaving Physic. Going into the closet, a pair of pajamas appeared...as if Edaline had read her mind. Sophie changed in the closet. The pants were brown and the shirt was green and fell nearly to her knees. She shook out her hair before retying it in a braid, she found Elwin and Physic staring at the limbuim bottle."Alright." Physic said. "Let's get this started." She said. Sophie uncorked the first bottle that was lined up for her, tipping her head back she started her cleanse. Just like old times. She though.

~

"We almost lost her." Elwin hissed quietly. "But we got her back." Physic replied. "The banshee-" Elwin started, but Physic cut him off. "Is hiding under the dresser." Physic said. "'Let's not worry her. She's been through enough." Physic said. Elwin heaved a sigh that ran through the air. "Knowing her she'll ask anyways." He said. Physic gave a low laugh. "Yeah."

Sophie's mouth felt like it was filled with wet sand. Her hand was hurting. She managed to groan. "Look she's awake." Was Physic's cheerful voice.

~

"You're kidding right?" Sophie asked Edaline and Grady, the next day. "We think you could use some normal right now. We know you've been through a lot, but maybe this will help you relax." Grady said. Sophie wrapped her hands around the warm mug of soothing tea.

"Yeah maybe...but it's like two weeks away, so why bring it up?" Sophie said. "Well I think you'd hardly appreciate being told the day before." Grady said.
"Besides, you'll have time to prepare, and maybe you can spend some time with the girls." Edaline said, rubbing Sophie's knee. "Linh can't go to Atlantis." Sophie dead panned. Edaline frowned. "Maybe you could go to Eternalia then." Sophie rubbed her nose with her oversized long sleeve grey shirt. "Normal..." She said quietly. She realized she could use some normal. She wanted normal. "Alright." She agreed. Edaline and Grady both seemed to release relieved breaths.

As if they were afraid she wouldn't want normal. Sophie wrapped the soft white blanket around her shoulders. "Good. We'll see you tomorrow then." Edaline said kissing Sophie's cheek before standing up. Grady hugged her, and pressed a lingering kiss her her head. "Um...about this...if I agree to go, I want it to be on one condition." Sophie said glancing at a stony faced sulking Sandor, who stood in the shadowy corner. Grady and Edaline both seemed to freeze. "What is it?" Grady ventured cautiously.

"I'm going to be going by myself. Sandor can go with me, out of sight but I want to see if you'll guess who I am." Sophie said. Grady and Edaline smiled at each other. "Alright." They agreed. "It shouldn't be that hard anyways." Grady said with a smile. Sophie smiled up at her parents, and they sparkled away. The annual masquerade ball...

She was actually going to go. "Knock knock." Sophie looked up from her cup of tea to see Keefe. "Heard your going to the masquerade ball as mysterious Miss F." He said as he walked into the guest room that had somehow become her own. The soft auburn brown curtains were opened, letting sun shine, casting patterns across the off white carpet, that gave the room a soft calming kind of energy.

"I guess I am." Sophie replied, curling her feet under her, as Keefe stepped in the room. Sophie sat on the tan couch that was placed to the side, but the sun angled her wah just enough to warm her. Keefe sighed. "Sheesh Foster. It seems like you would of given up on all your almost dying experiences. Especially having to drink the very thing that will kill you." He said, as he leaned against the golden brown walls, next to the white door that was cracked open, just enough to see partly into the room.

"I thought so too." Sophie said. Keefe sighed, "Well I thought you'd be bord in here, and I brought you a book...but then again reading is boring...unless it's reading your journal." He grinned mischievously, at the journal sitting on the couch beside her. Sophie's hand pressed against the top of it protectively. Her heart pounded, it couldn't be open without her DNA, but knowing Keefe, he might just get past that. Keefe's eyebrows went up knowingly, "Oooh somebody put all her secrets in her journal?" He asked teasingly. Sophie's jaw clenched, she'd have to watch him. Keefe became serious "Don't worry Foster. I'm not about to invade your privacy." He sat down cross legged, on the carpet. "I do want to ask you something though." He said his seriousness remaining.

His eyes turning down to the carpet. "What is it?" Sophie asked. "What color are you wearing to the ball?" He asked with a teasing smile. Sophie rolled her eyes. "Okay sorry." Keefe said, "Just trying to lighten the mood before it gets all dark and gloomy." He said. "Why would i-" Sophie cut off as she realized why the mood would get dark and gloomy. Keefe wanted to talk. About the Neverseen.

"I was with them for a while Sophie." Keefe said glancing out the cracked door, as if to be sure no one was eavesdropping. "I know some of the things they'd do. I just wanted to be sure if you'll be okay. I know it's a stupid question to ask because clearly you're not, but I wanted to let you know...I'm uh...I'm here...if you ever...Y'know want to get things off your chest...or talk things over." Keefe said. Sophie glanced at the leather jacket draped over the back of the couch. "Thanks Kyle." Sophie smiled, not realizing she said the wrong name.
"What?" Keefe asked. "Keefe! I said Keefe." Sophie blurted covering her mouth.

"No, you said Kyle. Who the heck is Kyle?!" Keefe asked an ever growing smirk on his face. "I'd like to know that as well." Sandor said. "Nobody." Sophie said. "Oh! Guys come here!" Keefe called out the door. "Sophie's got a boyfriend." He sang out the door. Biana was first in the room with Dex and Fitz at her heels. "Who is it? What happened? And when did it happen?" Biana asked, sitting next to Sophie. "I don't have a boyfriend!" Sophie snapped glaring at Keefe. "Well this Kyle guy is definitely someone special!" Keefe argued. "Yes, he is." Sophie answered, which silenced the room. "He is." Sophie said more softly this time. "But he is not my boyfriend." Sophie continued.

"Oh dear, our Sophie has hard her heart broken." Biana said dramatically as she teasingly fainted. Keefe was beside her in a moment, "Not our Sophie." He went along with it, as he picked up a pillow and started fanning Biana. "We must know more." He said, Biana raised her head and looked at Sophie. "Yes, we must." Sophie sighed knowing she wouldn't get any peace until she told them. However Alden and Della saved her, as they stepped into the room. "What's this about a boyfriend?" Alden winked.

"Hush you!" Della said, lightly smacking her husbands arm. "Sophie, we need to talk...all of us really." Della said. "Thus better not be about boys." Sophie mumbled. "Actually it's about one boy in particular." Alden said. "You said Alvar wasn't with the Neverseen." Della said, and the room quieted down. Sophie fiddled with her earrings. "I wasn't the only prisoner in the mountains. I thought....I thought Alvar had been forced to take care of me...but...." Sophie recalled the heart breaking look in Alvar's eyes when she had asked how long she was supposed to stay there.

He hadn't know how long either of them was going to be there. "He...Alvar." Sophie shook her head. "He's had a change of heart. The only thing is....he has doubts, fears and he's carrying an emotional burden right now, but I think once he sorts through it, once he gets his thoughts in order I'm sure fate we'll bring us back together...all of us." Sophie said, not only thinking of Alvar, but about Nick, Kyle Rose, her human family, the people who had been kind to her in all the other countries she had been in.

"You talked to him?" Biana asked. Sophie nodded. "We were trapped in a cabin for nearly a month." Sophie realized how that sounded and quickly spoke, "We had a truce. We escaped together, but he went his own way, and I wasn't going to stop him." Sophie said looking at Alden and Della. "Alvar is an incredible person, he's smart, he's strong and he can make his own way. He cares about you all, but as I said, he has doubts. Iver." Sophie had realized Iver was a telepath.

"Iver, really messed with Alvar's and Ruy's heads, but Alvar was strong enough to break free of that. He was smart enough to realize he couldn't come back, because this is the first place they'd search for him. He was brave enough to try and escape."

"He's alive though?" Fitz asked. "For now." Sophie nodded, "Sometimes we have to look past each others flaws and mistakes to see the truth." Sophie said. "No matter how hard it is." her eyes slid over to Dex. "We have to forgive him. He didn't realize what he was doing, he didn't remember anything." Dex's lips pulled down. Before the slightest nod of his head made him agree. "What do you mean for now? He's alive for now." Biana asked.

"The less you know the better." Sophie said. "Sophie's he's our son." Della said. "Yes, he is, but I can't tell you. He made me promise."

"So you know where he is at?" Keefe asked. "Yes...kind of. I know where he has gone." Sophie answered. "The last I saw him, he was doing well." Sophie promised. "When was the last time you saw him?" Dex asked. Sophie sealed her lips. Alvar had looked strange in a pair of jeans, a white T-shirt and black leather jacket. He looked like a model, with his dark hair ruffled. Sophie had ran into him in England, in fact it was by the Big Ben where she saw him. The meetings was warm. Alvar's eyes weren't cold or scared as they once were, he had hugged Sophie, asked how she was, Sophie had told him she had been lost, and Alvar had instantly taken her to his nicely sized apartment, where she had finished reading her journal. Alvar had helped her but could do nothing else.

Shortly after she had been snapped away. But Alvar had looked like he had been sorting things through, he looked content. His eyes had been warm, and welcoming, but Sophie could tell he felt lost. "I'm supposing it wasn't that long ago?" Alden asked. Sophie nodded. "I gave Alvar my word." Sophie said. "I'm sorry, but I can't say more than than that."

"But he is out of the Neverseen?" Della asked, tears making her eyes bright. "He is." Sophie confirmed.
The room seemed to let out it's breath. "Good. At least he's finding his way back." Alden said. "Thank you Sophie. That means a lot to us." Della smiled a watery and shaky smile. "You're welcome." She said. Alden and Della left the room. Leaving a silence in it. "So...Alvar?" Keefe asked, staring at Sophie curiously. Sophie stared back. "You know how to reach him?" Keefe asked. "Yes." Sophie nodded. "But you can't tell...what if we guessed?"

"You wouldn't be able too." Sophie answered. Keefe sighed. "Miss F, you have to give us some kind of hint."

"I'll be wearing blue." Sophie said, changing the subject "What color of blue?" Keefe asked eagerly. "Blue." Sophie shrugged. "What are you guys talking about?" Biana asked. "Foster is going to the masquerade ball solo mystique." Keefe said. "Sandor is coming with me." Sophie said looking at Sandor. "But he's going to be hidden." Keefe said. "Who ever picks you out first, what do they get?" Keefe asked. "Last dance!" Biana blurted. "Foster, I can pick you out by your emotions." Keefe said. "Not if Dex helps me." Sophie said looking at Dex who shrugged, staring at Biana, before looking at his feet. Sophie frowned, "What does the last dance mean?" She asked. "It means it's the chance for the lucky guy to steal a kiss." Keefe smirked.

"Ask." Fitz said. "Ask for a kiss." He said. Keefe scoffed. "Such a golden boy." At the same time Dex muttered "Wonderboy."

"Hey don't pick on him. At least he is gentlemanly." Biana said. "You'd rather be asked to be kissed, then to have a sweet romantic kiss?" Keefe asked his smirk growing. Biana blushed but vanished before anyone could see her turn completely red. "Well yes, I'd like to know if someone is going to kiss me." She said. "What about you Foster." Keefe asked. Sophie felt herself blush, and wished she could of been a vanished like Biana. But would she like to be kissed? Her first kiss? At a masquerade ball? Would she like to know before hand if she'd be kissed? But then Sophie realized, she was barely fourteen, she had ages to get her first kiss, and she had more to worry about then a kiss. She shrugged. "Don't know don't care. What I'm confused about is how I'm going to cover my emotions." Sophie said.

"I can help with that, it'll have to be last minute though." Dex said. "Alright so Dex is out of the game." Keefe said. Dex shrugged, "I wasn't going to play anyway. I would of picked her out first anyways." Dex said with a small smile. Sophie grinned. "I think you would have too." Sophie agreed. Keefe rolled his eyes, "Great it's Dophie  time."

"Hey." Sophie said blushing, "Alright so Sophie is wearing blue, what about you Biana?" Keefe asked. Biana who had been staring at the window, vanished. "Purple and black." Sophie watched as Dex's lips moved, repeating the words. "What do us girls get if we find you first?" Sophie asked, sipping her tea. Keefe frowned. "Well what do you want?" He asked. Sophie's eyes went to Fitz, to Dex then to Keefe. "Well Fitz has already seen my dress so he's out of the game with me, which is technically a given." Biana said. "But I want..well it depends on who we find. Right Sophie?" Biana asked.

Sophie shrugged. "I don't really care." Keefe sighed. "Maybe Linh will play, she might be more enthusiastic with us Biana."

"Hey, Biana did you say you already had your dress?" She asked. "Yes, Pearl is backed up with dress orders and suits." Biana nodded. "You'll probably have to find another seamstress." Biana said. Sophie sighed, maybe she'd just find some blue dress in her closet...unless. Sophie looked up at Dex. "Hey Dex." She smiled, causing Dex to look up. "Me and you...let's go walking." She said setting her cup down she swung her jacket around her shoulders, and pushed her journal in her pocket. "Um...okay." Dex said. Sophie smiled at her other friends. "We'll be back." With that she set off walking.