Unedited.

"I pass out in shock, once and you almost die twice, if I didn't know better, I would think you are trying to out do me." Elwin said, behind the makeshift curtain of blankets.

Sophie laughed ruefully. "If I was, I already have you beaten by a long shot." She said, as she drank elixirs and let Elwin rub salves on her scratched arms. She had managed to transmit to him that the others hadn't known about her earlier injuries, he kept quiet but shot her a stern glare as she healed up.

A freezing and shaking mess, Sophie was wrapped in blankets after she had been healed up, she found herself sitting on a the soft bench, between Alvar and Fitz. Alden had taken her seat in the cockpit. "We're stopping in Hawaii, to get you to a hospital." Kyle told Sophie. "I'm good as new." She said. "I'm. Taking. You. To. A. Hospital." He said slowly. Sophie ducked her head. "Yes sir." She said. She pulled the blankets closer around her. The feeling of free falling through the air still had her heart hammering, then plunging into the cold choppy ocean, sinking deeper into the inky vastness of it all.

The demon was weak, something had been wrong with it, Sophie had been able to decapitate it easily. With coal black skin and crimson red eyes it had been incredibly weak, it had barely managed to sink it's teeth in her arm. Though she had looked worse for wear, when she had dragged herself up onto the plane, the freezing water that dripped off her body had been stained with red. From her earlier wounds and the fresh, which were stinging with the salt water.

Sophie wouldn't hear the last of it from Kyle, if she didn't go to a hospital, though there wasn't a scratch on her, she still dreaded the smell of anesthetics, and sickness, needles and the stinging smell of disinfectant, but she could probably get her reflexes checked, she just might make it out without any needles. Kyle let out a sigh, "Okay so I finally believe the whole story you have me...now. Why would they create something like that? World domination? Cause if there is going to be an invasion I want to be prepared." He called back to Sophie.

Sophie hardly heard him over the engine of the plane, Alden handed her the headset and she spoke. "They started a war with the Black Swan, they want to destroy...some things you're better off not knowing about...anyways they call those demons dark elves."

"Like the myths? Where the dark elves are like mercenaries?" Kyle asked. "Yeah, but these elves they don't have an present state of mind, they're pretty much serial killers with no present state of mind."

"None at all?" Kyle asked. "No. But something was wrong with that one, it was weaker then the last."

"You think it was sick?" Alden asked. Sophie nodded, "Something like that."

"Well maybe it just got out of the lab, like the frozen tube or whatever they use to experiment on those things." Kyle said. Sophie's eyes widened. "Kyle you're a genius!" She reached for her purple backpack which Linh willingly gave her. Turning back in her seat Kyle spoke. "I could of told you that." He glanced back at her. "Want to be specific?" Sophie waved him away as she unzipped the front of her backpack. She brushed past her hair brush and ties, she shoved side the paracord bracelets and found the spy ball covered in it's black cloth. She could find where the keys were, what the Neverseen where doing, with it. She handed the ball to Fitz before pulling out her memory log.

Flipping through her nightmares, memories, and clues she stopped at a blank page. "Well all I'd have to do is tag one of those things with a tracker and see where it leads us. Dex do you think you could make a tracker?" She asked. The demons had to report back to the Neverseen to tell them her location or if she were dead. That meant they had ways of communication, or they had some kind of zoning device which made the Neverseen keep track of them. "What kind? How big and how soon do you need it?" Dex asked as he opened his own bag. "Something that will stick to a demon, but not conspicuous, small and as soon as you can." Sophie answered. She projected her memories of each demon she had fought.

"Now hold on, a tracker? Are you planning on sticking a tracker to one of those things?" Kyle asked. "Exactly. It'll lead us to the base."

"Sef, think this through. To stick a tracker to it you have to get close to it." Kyle said. "That's a bad idea Foster." Keefe said. "It may be bad, but do any of you have another idea?" Sophie asked glancing around the stuffed plane. Alvar cleared his throat making the others look at him. "Why don't you...we, get to where we are going, talk this out and make a plan."

"What if another dark elf winds up the plane?" Sophie asked. "We have to be prepared for every angle."

"Aren't the adults in charge?" Kyle asked. Sophie looked at Della and Alden, then Grady and Edaline.  "Sophie has more experience in this field of...work than us." Grady said. "So what? you each have different jobs?" Kyle asked. "Dex is our tech. Biana...she's she's the spy that tends to do sneak jobs, she gets in and gets out without being seen." Sophie said. "Tam and Linh, they're our back up plan that usually do extractions if a mission goes down the wrong way. Grady and Edaline they are behind the scenes, and Alden and Della, well they pretty much have our bail, if we get in trouble with the law, and Keefe he's...he's our double agent."

"The others?" Kyle asked. "Elwin's our doctor with mad skills, he's saved my life more times then I can count. Fitz...he's... He's like the second me. He'll take charge when I can't, and Alvar..." Sophie glanced at Alvar. "He got dragged into this." Sophie settled for. "So you're the master mind?" Kyle asked.  N-"

"Yes." Keefe said interrupting her. "She's reckless as reckless can get but yeah she's head of the whole team." Keefe said. "First time I met her she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders." Kyle nodded. "Half frozen but a head none the less." Sophie scoffed, as she shoved the spy ball back in the backpack. "Alden, there should be a marker in the glove box, toss it back here." Sophie said. "Please." She added, as Alden opened the glove box. Fitz caught the marker and handed it to her. Sophie pulled the cap off with her teeth as she circled the middle of the back, of the most recent demon. It wouldn't... Shouldn't be able to get the tracker off, but the armored demon would pose another problem.

"Alright so you have different jobs, but Sef this is still a bad idea." Kyle said. "I know." Sophie nodded as she circled the neck of the demon. Capping the market she tossed it back up. She handed her memory log to Fitz. "Everyone those places should be were we aim, unless you see somewhere else."

"I think this might work." Dex said, holding up a round piece of scraggly metal, with wires sticking out. At everyone's unimpressed face he rolled his eyes. "Just a model, here." Dex tossed the device to Biana. She caught it. Dex nodded. "Yup, it works."

"You'll be able to track it?" Sophie asked. As Kyle mumbled a few impressed words of praise for Dex. "Yeah, I'll have to make something where we can all track it." Dex said. Biana handed the tracker back. "Good, well all need a couple of those." Sophie said as her memory log was passed back up from the back. Snapping it closed, she shoved it back in her backpack and set it at her feet. Dex nodded as he went to work. "Will Havenfield be okay with out you guys?" Sophie asked looking back at Grady and Edaline. "Sandor and Brosh will take care of it." Edaline nodded. Sophie nodded as she wrapped the blanket closer around her.

She glanced out the window next to Fitz, she had clear view of the wing now. Alvar touched her cold hand with his own. She looked over at him, "Are you okay?" He asked. Sophie nodded, smiling at his kindness. Fitz however was shooting daggers at his brother. "I'm okay." Sophie assure him, she felt a warm arm wrap around her shoulders and pull her farther away from Alvar. She felt her face flame, as Fitz stared out the window, not looking at her, as he left his arm draped around her. She glanced at Alvar, though her heart had flipped and skipped, she had butterflies that made her shivering increase. Alvar however smiled, letting her know everything was okay. He squeezed her hand and pulled away.

Facing forward. Sophie looked up at Fitz who was watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"I told you I'd give you time and space, I'm not giving you up." He transmitted. Sophie ducked her head that now felt as hot as a furnace. Fitz was warm, which made Sophie want to push herself closer to him, it was like sitting in the warm sunlight on a perfect fall day. The warmth sank through the blanket, her jacket and straight into her chest where it swirled around her heart that bashed against her rib cage. Sophie knew this would only cause problems but her eyelids were to heavy to resist. They slid close and she felt her head tilt on to his shoulder as she fell asleep.

~

"You are clear to go."

Sophie's knees went weak with relief as she grabbed onto Kyle's arm for balance. She forced a smile. "Good. Thank you." She told the doctor. Sophie and Kyle left the hospital and started walking to the airport where everyone was waiting.

"Looks like you were right." Kyle said as they walked. "I could have told you that." Sophie said repeating his own words. Kyle shot her a sharp look at her, that was filled with pride. "So...troubles?" He asked. Sophie's face flamed, and she turned away from him. "I'm guessing you might not want to talk about this, but maybe it'll help." Kyle offered. Sophie sighed, "Okay...okay." She repeated. "I'm kinda stuck in a triangle." Kyle walked beside her. "I'm guessing it's between two who are on your team...or present at the plane?" Kyle asked. Sophie nodded. "Alvar and Fitz."

"The brothers?" Kyle asked. Sophie was to embarrassed to say anything, she nodded as she rubbed her itchy eyelashes. "Isn't the Alvar older then you?" Sophie nodded. "He is, but he's saved my life before too."

"Well do you like them?" Kyle asked. Sophie shrugged, "I've never really considered romantic relationships. Sure I've had crushes and stuff but...that's different. It's always...well I thought it was all one sided, I thought. Now everything it's-"

"It's new? Different? Unsure? I know kid. I was a teenager once." Kyle said. "It's confusing. I don't even know if I actually...if I want that." Sophie said.
"Don't rush into it. If you are unsure then don't agree to anything." Kyle said, pulling her out of the way of a group of tourists. "I made that mistake, and it ruined a lot of things for me. So just take things at your pace, choose someone who makes you happy."

"They both make me happy. I feel safe around both of them and it sucks having to choose, it's like my happiness at the price of another's. I can't choose between them, things are already tense between them, and even if I could choose one it'd be like...like leaving one stuffed animal out." Kyle chuckled. "That's one way of explaining it." Sophie sighed. "I just don't get it. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. On top of that there is the-" Sophie cut off as her voice cracked. She looked up at Kyle, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Not only with choosing but with my life. What part am I supposed to play...Kyle I'm struck in my own storm no one else can see." Sophie said, Kyle's black eyes softened, he raised his hand and rested it on Sophie's shoulder. "Tell me what to do Kyle." Sophie said as tears streaked down her face.

"I'm not going to tell you what you to do, but my advise is, to take a deep breath, and feel what you are feeling." Kyle said. Sophie hugged Kyle's waist, burying her head into his dark T-shirt. She burst into tears, "I'm scared Kyle. I'm so scared." She cried as Kyle wrapped his arms around her. "I don't want to be scared anymore. I don't want to lead, for once...I don't want to fight."

"Than don't fight. Let others fight for you. Be afraid, but don't let that fear control you." He said. "I don't want to fight this war, I don't want to feel so apart and decided inside. Help me Kyle." Sophie begged. "I'm just exhausted of it. Of everything. I want to be someone normal for once. For once in my life I want to feel free, to feel happy. For once in my life...I don't want to be afraid." Sophie cried, Kyle didn't know what to say to that. So he hugged Sophie close, hoping it might offer some comfort. He knew what it felt like to feel lost, to feel so unsure about everything. Sophie was half way to finding herself, and yet the farthest part away from it.

(Darn, I'm crying...)