Alright, I like this chapter! I hope you like it too! Oh, and happy thanksgiving! What are y'all thankful for? For me, it's my friends!

Sophie felt the layers of forest pass by her in a blur. She was running, practically flying past everything and anything.

Footsteps on the ground.

She ran faster. She had to run. She couldn't stop. Stopping would mean bad things for her. Imprisonment, maybe, or most likely certain death. Her feet barely felt the ground as she ran for everything she had. For everything she loved.

Breathing down her neck.

Sophie channeled all of the energy she had in a brain push. She couldn't quit now. She had made it so far! She couldn't give up. She just couldn't.

Shouts behind her back.

Her energy was running out. She couldn't run forever, and there was no telling how much forest was left to go. A cold panic spread through her veins, like poison. This was it.

The thumping of her heart.

Sophie let her mind go, let her body take over, leading her through the woods. It was dangerous. And it was necessary.

Footsteps on the ground. Breathing down her neck. Shouts behind her back. The thumping of her heart.

She pushed herself. If she just worked a little bit harder, ran a little bit faster went a little bit further-she came to an empty grove of trees.

Harder. Faster. Further.

Sophie ran. Step by step. She made it to the end of the grove. The trees thickened. No one would be able to squeeze through their looming branches.

Trapped.

Her arms clawed at the trees. Her hands were bloody, she was exhausted. Her legs felt like spaghetti. Her knees collapsed, sending her tumbling to the ground. She was weak. She was useless. There was nothing she could do.

Weak. Useless. Nothing she could do.

Sophie was on her knees, her eyes on the grassy floor. She was bloody. She was bruised. She was broken. She was the last of the Black Swan. And she had lost. She had failed.

Failed.

The blood dripped down her face, covering her. The bruises throbbed, like they were taunting her. Reminding her. Her mind shattered, the guilt overpowering her.

Bloody. Bruised. Broken.

Sophie looked up. Cloaked figures. No hope. She stood. And she screamed. She screamed for everything she had, for everything she lost.

Scream.

Everything and anything she had ever felt, all of it, was leaving her with such force that it shook her. But she stood. The anger. The guilt. The sadness. She let go of all of it, letting instinct take control. This was her purpose. She was the Moonlark. This is what she was made to do.

Anger. Guilt. Sadness.

Sophie looked as one by one the hooded figures fell to the floor, each one hitting the grass with a dull thunk. Their eyes blank. Their mouths open. And Sophie smiled. She was going down. There was no question. She was going down, but she was taking them down with her.

Thunk.

One. One stood after everyone else fell. After it was all over. And she was still on her feet, despite the odds. And then, the cloaked figure stood. Two stood. One on each side. A dangerous match. She looked him in the eyes. Familiar eyes. A stab to her heart.

Ice blue eyes.

Sophie watched blankly as the hood flew back. Blonde hair. Those eyes. A friend. An enemy. A dagger in his hands. The blood dripping from it. The evil smile on his lips.

Dagger.

This was it. She couldn't fight him. She had nothing left. Her legs collapsed and she fell to the floor. She was on her back, looking up at the stars. They really were beautiful. Keefe leaned over her, the sunlight streaming through his hair.

Stars. Sunlight. What?

Sophie saw Keefe life the dagger. She shut her eyes, trying to close out the sight of him standing over her. That malicious gleam in his red eyes.

Wait… red?

A scream escaped her lips as she felt the dagger pierced her stomach, the pain almost unbearable. She felt the blood start to run down her stomach, and onto the soft ground. And then she let go. Let the darkness consume her. And felt a blood curling scream escaped her lips.

Darkness. Scream. Blood.

Sophie jerked up, a scream echoing from her lips as she took in gulps of air. The sheets clung to her because of the cold sweat she was covered in. She forced her eyes opened. Of course. It was just another nightmare.

Sophie clutched the sheets, and waited for Sandor to burst into her room. And then she remembered that he was out with Grizel tonight. The drama with the Neverseen had died down, so he had decided to go out. Grady and Edaline must've been in deep sleep, because they weren't banging on her door either.

And before she even knew what she was doing, her feet were taking her silently down the stairs, and too the first floor. And then she was walking to the Leapmaster 1,000.

She was just going for a walk. She wasn't going anywhere. Or, that's what she told herself. But then she was whispering 'Candleshade', and the light whisked her to where she knew she would find Keefe. She had to know that she was okay.

When Sophie arrived, she remembered that she was only wearing silk pajamas. Which would of been fine, had the ground not been covered in a thin layer of snow, chilling her to the bone through the thin fabric.

Sophie started banging on the door, praying that Keefe's dad was still up. After a few minutes the door whipped open, and the was Lord Cassius, looking confused. When he saw Sophie, he stepped aside, letting her in. He didn't ask questions. Though, that's probably what people were expected to do when a sobbing girl shows up at their house, in nothing but thin pajamas in the snow. You give them what you want.

Sophie raced to the Voltinator, and was rocketed up to Keefe's room. Her stomach wasn't happy with her, but she ignored the feeling of intense nausea as she rushed to Keefe's room door.

She had been to Keefe's house with him, but only on rare occasions. It still felt unfamiliar. But then Keefe's door opened, and there he stood. He looked confused and tired, but definitely not evil

"Foster, what's up? Your emotions are goi-oof!" Sophie had cut him off by hurling herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in the crook of his neck, breathing in his familiar scent. He was okay. That was all that mattered. He was okay.

"Woah, hey, it's okay. You're okay." Keefe said softly, gently running his hands in circles on her back, trying to help her calm down. "Was it a nightmare?" His voice was so gentle, Sophie could tell he was worried about setting her off again.

"Yes." Her voice was small, and it was muffled by how she was nuzzled into his neck, and so for a minute, she wondered if Keefe had even heard her, but then he said,

"Come on." Keefe gently lifted her off the ground and into his arms, carrying her bridal style, and leading her to his room.

Keefe set her down on his bed, but she still clung to him. She was still scared. "So, what's bothering my girl?" Sophie rolled her eyes, but the idea of a smile twitched her lips. "Not telling me? Well," Keefe murmured softly as he pulled away slightly and suddenly, a stuffed gulon was staring her in the face. "Maybe you'll tell Mrs. Stinkbottom!"

This time, the smile formed all the way, and she could see Keefe's smug smirk. "I don't know. Is Mrs. Stinkbottom gonna be nice?" Sophie asked, playing along with the game Keefe had made.

"Mrs. Stinkbottom would like me to inform you that she is always nice, especially to magnificent people like me and you." An actual laugh slipped out as Sophie sat up so she could see Keefe and Mrs. Stinkbottom better.

"Well, I still think Ella is better." Keefe gasped dramatically, clutching his heart as if he was mortally wounded.

"Mrs. Stinkbottom would like me to tell you that she no longer thinks so highly of you now that you have shown favoritism. You should watch your back, because I hear Mrs. Stinkbottom has some epic pranks up her sleeves. You've been warned." Sophie giggled, and propped herself up with her arm.

"Well, it seems she learned from the best." Sophie said softly, looking back into Keefe's eyes, which were like little pools of light that she was getting lost in, and for the first time, she seemed to realise that he had grown up. Matured.

Of course, she had known that he wouldn't stay 14 forever. But now, as a 17-year-old, he looked way too old that she seemed to remember. He was no longer the impish kid she had known.

His jawline had become more prominent, and he was a lot taller. He even had a bit of stubble lining his chin which- "Y'know Foster, as much as I enjoy watching you ogling me, I think your getting distracted." Sophie felt the blush rise up her cheeks, and Keefe smiled, looking proud of himself for making her blush.

"Sorry, it's just… you look so grown up." Sophie said quietly, reaching up and cupping his face in one hand without really thinking about it first. "And I know I've seen you grow up, but for some reason, it's like I'm only really realising you're not 14-years-old now." Keefe laughed softly, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers hesitating on her skin, successfully making her stomach erupt into fireworks. What was that about?

"And yet, you still look like a tiny 12-year-old. What's that about?" Sophie rolled her eyes, but a grin still made its way onto her lips. "Though, you do seem to be more beautiful. How did you even do that? You were already stunning, but now…" He playfully wolf-whistled, making Sophie gently shove him.

"Oh shut up"

"Me? Shut up? Never." And then suddenly, it was like they were just being pulled closer together, and then his lips were so close to her's, and she was ultra aware of the way his breath warmed her cheeks, and her eyes fluttered shut, and everything was happening so fast, and then his lips were on her's, and pure bliss shot through every part of her.

Keefe's arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer as they leaned into each other. All too soon, they had pulled away from each other, leaving Sophie feeling to cold, and to lonely, even though Keefe was still there.

"That was…" Sophie couldn't think of a word that would properly describe the hurricane of emotions that kiss had made her feel.

"Amazing? Wonderful? Awesome?" Keefe suggested. Sophie nodded, and was a about to respond, when she yawned. "Oh, you're tired, aren't you?"

Sophie nodded. "It is past midnight, isn't it? Are you not tired?" Keefe shrugged.

"I think that kiss just gave me a huge blast of energy." He said with a wink. "But I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little tired. So I'll go get an air-mattress or something to sleep on. You can take my bed for the night." He was about to get up, but she tugged him back down.

"No." She cooed, snuggling into his chest. "Stay." She could feel Keefe's hesitation, but in the end, his desires won over as he slipped under the covers next to her, draping an arm protectively around her, making her feel comfortably tiny.

"G'night Keefe." Sophie murmured quietly, her words slurred. She burrowing into him as she started to drift of.

"Goodnight, Sophie" Keefe said, pressing his lips to her forehead, smiling when she hummed gently. And then her breathing slowed, and she was gone.

Keefe stayed up for quite a while, just watching the woman he loved as she slept peacefully, feeling happier than he could ever remember.