-Sophie was eating lunch with her friends, but couldn't help but wonder where Biana and Keefe were. Had something come up?

She was holding a fork in her hand, staring off into space in the direction of the door when Fitz put a hand on her shoulder. "Is everything okay? You look a little spacy." He asked her telepathically. This was normal for them to do, so it was mainly ignored. They often discussed things that would worry their friends using their mind connection. It was just safer that way.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just worried about where Biana and Keefe could be. They didn't message us about studying or anything." She replied, and set the fork down.

"Do you think they could be-"

"Contacting the Neverseen?"

"Look, I don't want to accuse them as much as you do, but we can't ignore that though we're close with them, they're still a possibility."

"I know, but still. Maybe they have another reason? We know that Dex and the Songs are stucl in tutoring, they could be there too." Sophie suggested, wishing it were true.

"Let's hope," Fitz agreed, and quietly moved his hand from her shoulder.

Under the table, he took her hand, a common trend, and squeezed it softly. It had been established without words that that was their quiet support signal. Sophie wasn't sure when it started, but it was definitely before the last Neverseen battle. Times never seemed to get easy for the pair, even without the enemy rebels breathing down their necks. In the hardest of times, like now, actions spoke louder than words. They both knew that there was nothing they could say now to one another to make things better. So they waited.

After a few minutes, Biana and Keefe walked in, side by side, talking, and laughing. Sophie swallowed nervously, and transmitted to her cognate, "do you think-"

"No," relief flooded into her mind as Fitz replied, "I don't think so."

She squeezed his hand before letting go, and hugging Biana happily, "you're here! We missed you."

Sophie could have sworn that Biana's breath sharpened a bit as she replied, "yeah, me too." Biana hugged her tighter, and the two let go a few moments later.

"Where were you? You've been gone for most of lunch." She frowned when she noticed that her eyes were red.

Biana was about to answer when Keefe jumped in, "I found her in the hall, crying about a multispecial studies assignment. That's when my big brother Keefe kicked in, and I helped her." He smirked, playfully, and sat down at the table.

Biana's eyes had watered again, and she nodded a little, confirming his story. "Yeah, sorry to make you worry."

"We're just glad you're okay," Sophie smiled, and hugged her again.

Keefe pushed his way into the hug, "hey what about me?!"

The two girls laughed, but laughed even harder when perfect Fitz used telekinesis to lift the three of them off the ground. Onlookers gasped and looked at them with awe. Telekinesis was a skill that many elves struggled with.

"Show off," Keefe muttered as they were set down.

"Got to keep up with my reputation," Fitz gave him a dashing smile. Sophie smiled to herself as girls swooned at his charm.

She wasn't jealous or even angry. She understood that he was good looking and well liked, and that girls practically fell at his feet, but she also understood that she was his cognate. No one knew him better than she did, and no one could ever take her special place in his heart. Sophie had decided a while ago that she would understand if Fitz was interested in someone else, that staying in his life would be enough. Being his cognate guaranteed that for her.

"I can't believe you even have a reputation, you're such a dork!" Biana giggled, ruffling his hair by standing on her tip toes.

"That's why all the ladies love me," he joked, but glanced at Sophie for a second before turning his attention back to his sister. That made Sophie blush. "Besides, I'm not the only dork with a reputation, there's always you, or Sophie, or even worse-Keefe."

"A dork?" Keefe asked, mock-offended, "no way! I'm the coolest cool guy around!"

"Sure," Fitz rolled his eyes, "whatever helps you sleep at night."

"I sleep fine, thank you very much." Keefe retorted.

"With lies," Sophie added, giggling.
"Oh snap!" Biana said in agreement, laughing along with her.

"It's not like Fitz sleeps either, he spends like half the night thinking of Sophie!" Keefe tried helplessly.

Sophie blushed at his statement, and luckily, Fitz came to her rescue. "Well, yeah! Sophie's my cognate, which means she makes up half my life without even trying."

"Cognate-shmognate, that doesn't give you an excuse."

Both Sophie and Fitz tensed. How could Keefe say something like that? He knew how important their ability to be cognates was to them. Sophie was hurt and confused. Why was he stepping over the line like this? She didn't want to hurt anyone, but she couldn't not be cognates with Fitz. It's like he was a part of her, a big part of her, and now one of her friends was insulting that part of her? The hurt was suddenly mixed with anger, and she could tell that Fitz was feeling the same way. She put her hand on Fitz's shoulder as a little sign of comfort.

"You don't understand," she said quietly.

"What don't I understand?!" Keefe through his hands in the air, starting to get mad. "Is it because I'm not a big bad telepath like you guys? Is it because you're both way smarter than me? Is it because you guys don't want to let me in on your little secrets? I know you have them! We're suppose to all be a team! Not just the Sophitz and company."

Sophie opened her mouth in shock, the anger melting into hurt again. Fitz started to shake with fury. "You just can't understand. No one can understand but someone with a cognate."

Keefe's rage melted away from his face, and was replaced with shock.

She moved her hands from her cognate's shoulder to his hands. "Fitz-"

"How can you be so calm about this?" He spoke quietly, hurt laced into his words.

"I'm not," she admitted at the same level of volume, keeping her cool. "I just want to keep a little peace."

Through their mental connection, she added, "I'm just as upset as you are, but I'm trying to keep it inside. I'm not comfortable with other people seeing me so... so..."

"Angry?" Fitz offered telepathically.

"Sad." She replied, and gripped his hands to keep tears from spilling out of her eyes. "I can't believe Keefe, our friend, thinks this way. I don't want to hurt anyone, but there's no way that I can't be your cognate."

He smiled a little, "really? I feel the same way-"

Biana cleared her throat daintily, "earth to Fitz and Sophie, Keefe left."

Sophie was snapped into reality, "what?"

"Yeah, he just kind of walked off after you guys started having one of your secret conversations." Biana didn't sound too happy.

Sophie sighed a little, "I'll go talk to him."

"No, he'll be okay. He knows he was out of line." Biana smiled a little, "It's hard to understand the bond between cognates of you're not one, and some of us haven't comprehended how deep that bond is. It's just a wake up call, that's all, but he isn't totally wrong." She took a deep breath, and looked away. "You guys tend to keep secrets between the two of you, all of us can tell, and that's fine, just try not to forget about us, okay?"

Sophie and Fitz looked at one another, both wearing faces of guilt, before hugging Biana.

"Oh Biana, we had no idea you felt this way!" She frowned, "we're so sorry."

"Really sorry," Fitz added. "We didn't realize how far we were pushing the cognatey withstanding levels of our friends."

"It's okay, I understand, and now, so does everyone else." Biana smiled brightly.

"I hope so."

"We're just really in sync." Sophie laughed a little.

"Yeah, sometimes it scares me," Biana laughed in agreement.

"Us too!" Sophie and Fitz said in unison. They looked at each other and flushed while Biana cringed.

"Sorry," they replied together.

Fitz looked like he was about to say something when a bright green light shone from his wrist pocket. He looked surprised, but smiled as he took out the light source. It was a small card, business size, and it blinded her when she looked at it directly.

"What is that?" She asked.

"It looks like a-" Biana started, but her brother interrupted her.

"I have to go. I'll see you guys later." He waved, and with that, he ran out.

"-a calling card. What could he have bought that he needed one?"

"What's a calling card?" Sophie asked her friend.

"It's a card you get after you buy something that still has to be made. Usually it's personalized stuff like holo-mirrors. It glows when the item you've bought is ready to you can go pick it up. It usually takes a week or so, he must have gotten it when he went shopping with mom."

"Huh, that's weird, he didn't tell me about that." Sophie frowned. She had thought that her cognate had told her everything he had purchased for them.

"Well he surprised you with that dress, maybe it's another surprise for you." Biana suggested hopefully, and Sophie turned red.

"N-n-no! He wouldn't do a double surprise like that. Its just... so much."

"Maybe it's for when we celebrate everyone's birthdays." Biana offered, twirling her hair in her fingers.

"That's not for months, though."

"Who knows, sometimes when you find something good, you have to get it before it's too late."

She sighed, "you're right, I just hope it's not too big or pricy."

"Sophie," Biana took her by the shoulders, serious. "Nothing is too big or expensive for you, you're Sophie Foster. Aka, super cool, super pretty, and super duper amazing. Aaaaaand my best friend." Her friend smiled slyly, knowing she was saying all the right things.

Sophie hugged her tightly, smiling widely. "Thank you Biana, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably come to school only wearing grey, never talk to your crush, and never go shopping."

They laughed, and enjoyed the rest of their lunch together.