A/N) I have returned with the next part! And, I would just like to say thank you to Charlotte O. CATS KOTLC for your reviews and feedback! I really appreciate hearing from my readers! I hope the rest of you will review as well! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Part 4

"You've gotta be kidding me." I stared blankly at the so-called elves sitting across the room from me. I had somehow made my way as far away from Dex as possible during their lengthy explanation, because Dex had been lying to me during our entire relationship. I looked at him like he was the complete and total stranger that i had learned him to be.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Dex started.

"Is your real name even Dex?" i interrupted, the hurt and confusion in my voice inevitable.

The question seemed to drop some hurt into his periwinkle eyes-the same periwinkle eyes i had fallen in love with all those months ago. A year ago, to be exact.

"Of course my real name is Dex. Dexter Alvin Dizznee, if you want the whole thing," he added.

"So, your grandma was never sick," i began. "You had never actually moved to Philadelphia. You aren't actually homeschooled. You don't actually have super annoying triplet siblings that make you leave suddenly because you have to take care of them-"

"Actually, that one is true. Disappointingly," he grumbled. Then he stood, cautiously walking towards me but standing a careful few feet away. "Hazel, i know i lied, and i get that it was wrong."

"Yeah, it was."

"But, you have to understand. I can't exactly share this life with anyone."

I stood, closing the rest of the space between us and taking both of his hands and looking up at him. "But i'm not just anyone. Dex, this is me. You've known me-dated me-for a year today. It's our anniversary, remember," i added quiet enough that only he heard.

"I know. And this wasn't how i wanted it to end," he looked down at our hands. "But, i also know that i wouldn't be able to hide this from you forever. I was just waiting for the right opportunity."

"Dex," Kesler-Dex's father-stood as he said, "you know fully well that there is no right opportunity to tell someone something like this. What on earth made you think to begin dating a human?"

"And why didn't you tell us?" Juline-Dex's mother-added.

"Because of reactions like this!" Dex told them, releasing my hands and turning to face them. "Don't think i don't notice the stares you all are giving her-giving us. Humans as a species may be . . . different. And i knew that you all would never be able to look past that. But Hazel-and so many other humans-has such a good nature." He turned back to me with a longing look in his eyes as he continued to talk to the others. "She's so much like us. She doesn't deserve to live the way she has. And yet, she doesn't complain. She just tries to get through as much as she can to make her life her own. And i wanted to be part of her life. Because, even if you all might never understand why . . . i love her. With everything i have. And there's nothing you can do to change that." And then he kissed me, neither of us caring that we were surrounded by several other people. If it was possible to fall in love with the same person all over again-even though it felt like he betrayed you-i just did. And it felt so amazing, and i realized that i did it every time i saw him.

I broke the kiss, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Even after everything that went down between elves and humans?"

"Everything that went down between elves and humans was the elves fault," he assured me, gently tucking a wisp of hair behind my ear and caressing my cheek. Leaning his forehead against mine, he added, "I just wish realizing that might have fixed things between them."

"Dex," Sophie said, coming towards us. "You know i have nothing against humans-"

"None of us do," Alden clarified.

"But, the Council will definitely be against having an elf date a human, especially because they have the whole Matchmaker scrolls," she added.

"I don't care," Dex told her. "If my parents can be a 'bad match,'" he put air quotes around the words, "then why can't i?"

"After everything that she's learned," Della jumped in quietly, "you would want to make sure that Hazel would still want to be apart of any of this." She seemed to choose her words carefully, but that did nothing for the realization and sadness that crept on Dex's face. He wouldn't look at me.

"That's right," he mumbled. Everyone turned to look at me, and i realized that all the weight of this situation had been suddenly dumped on me. I looked at Dex.

He had lied to me. Tricked me. Maybe even played around with my emotions-no. He wouldn't do that. But he was someone who i never thought he could be. He was an elf. A species that shouldn't exist. During my extensive history lesson, i learned that there were, in fact, like six other species in this world that humans didn't know about. That there were whole other worlds beyond my horrible one with my mother. That there were things like Telepaths and telekinesis that actually existed. That someone could actually have the ability to disappear. That dinosaurs and unicorns and pegasi were real. That creatures that couldn't even begin to form in my imagination existed.

And that Dex had known about it all, and never told me. And yet . . .

I strode over to his side and wrapped my hands around his arm, holding onto him and leaning my head against it. "I wouldn't have cared if he was some sort of alien-cyborg thing from Mars. Dex is my boyfriend, and i have no intention of breaking off our relationship any time soon."

Biana squealed. "Aw, you two are just so cute together!" Dex's grin was huge as he looked down at me and then wrapped me in a hug.

"After all, i would miss those adorable little dimples of yours too much if i did," i added quietly, smiling against his chest.

"I hate to ruin the moment," Alden said loudly, "but, remember, the Council found out about Amy when she was staying in the Lost Cities, so i have no doubt that they will find out about Hazel. And when they do . . ." He didn't finish the sentence, which made me cling to Dex all the more. I didn't want some stupid Council to separate us because of some stupid rule. I wanted to stay with him. I didn't care where it was. I just needed to be with him.

"Maybe . . . ," Dex began, slowly pulling back to look at me. "Maybe they'll give her a chance."

"That's a long-shot," Keefe told him. "Hey, don't look at me like that. Trust me, after being around her for awhile, the Redhead here has me all for Dazel."

"Redhead?" i asked, and at the same time Fitz snorted, all the while Dex asking, "Dazel?"

"Because of your hair, duh," Keefe told me. Turning to Fitz, he said, "Don't make fun of it." And to Dex, he added, "You're stuck with it, Technonerd."

I giggled. "Technonerd?"

"Yeah, being a Technopath isn't the awesomest ability out there," Dex said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"And it's fun to make fun of him because he thinks his ability-which actually is awesome-sucks," Keefe added.

"Well, i like it. Think of all the cool stuff you could do to my phone!" i told Dex, pulling out the device and unlocking the screen. "Maybe you could make it work without reception-ooh, and make the Internet run faster! That would be great. Maybe you could-"

"Whoa whoa whoa," Dex said, laughing. "Slow down. You might not even need your phone anymore."

"What do you mean?" i asked.

"I believe what Mr. Dizznee is trying to suggest is that you stay here, in the Lost Cities," a new voice said from the doorway. I turned around to see a wrinkled, bloated man standing at the living room entrance, a smell of feet lingering around him.

"Have you all forgotten of our meeting today?" The man added, taking a few heavy steps forward. "Hm, i guess you have. You're all lucky it's just me and not a member of the Council, otherwise," his eyes flicked to me and Dex, "you two would be in serious trouble."

A/N) Okay okay, yeah, i know. It was short. I'll try to come up with the next part soon. But, juggling three stories can be a hassle-although, this probably only counts as two, given the fact that I basically post what I put in my one-shot series, I just change the Author's Notes. But still, life tends to get in the way of everything. Y'all are lucky I love you so much! Nah, i'm kiiiiiiiiiiidding. I mean, obviously, I love all of you, but-oh, nevermind. Before I start rambling anymore, I might as well just end this . . .

Peace out m'peeps!