(A/N) Hi. If you are reading this, thank you, I am surprised. If you are not, this sentence has no purpose. This is going to be a short story, so not a set amount of chapters. Anyways, you'll see what it's all about when I say this: Keefe x Tam (there you go!) This'll be a little different of a story, but also the same. I haven't decided where to put this in the timeline of Keeper stories, so I'll tell you later. I'm thinking of writing my idea of Flashback (has anyone done that yet? I haven't checked) and starting to write in the Fablehaven fandom. If you've read that book, PM me! We can talk about it. And if you just want to talk, PM anyways. Whew! That was a lot! Okay, now you can read—if you're still here. I talk way too much!

Play Nice - Chapter 1

"Just play nice, okay, Keefe?

"Ugh. But I hate him." Keefe gripped Sophie's face with his hands and brought her close. "But if you want me to."

Sophie pulled away. "Thanks." She jumped up from the fluffy sofa they were perched on and skipped up the stairs of Havenfield to the Leapmaster. At the top floor, she turned back and waved. "See you tonight!"

Keefe waved back. When Sophie ducked out of sight, he sighed and rubbed his hands down his face. He rose from his seat and ran his them through his hair. "Great," he muttered, mostly to himself. "I have to spend an entire day with Bangs Boy. Of all people, it has to be him. What can't I do boring research in Eternalia with Sophie?"

"I dunno," A sweet voice drifted from the kitchen, "Probably because Grady just had an unscheduled meeting with the Collective." The Collective was the group of elves in charge of the rebel group called the Black Swan. They wore crazy disguises like partial vanishing, where they vanish and don't fully reform, eating berries called ruckleberries that make you wrinkly and smell like feet and other over-the-top costumes.

Edaline, Sophie's adoptive mot into the doorway. "And you know Grady. He'll do anything to keep you and Sophie apart." She winked, as if to say, "But I won't."

Keefe snickered. "You're right. I should probably get home so he doesn't find me here." At that moment, the front door opened and Grady stepped into the house, not noticing Keefe yet. "Well, I'd better run before he finds Sandor to stab me."

Keefe raised his home crystal, grinned at Edaline as she chuckled, waved and leaped away. He materialized in from of his humongous, towering skyscraper home, took out another crystal that was blue this time, and leaped again. This time, he materialized on a wooden balcony facing a beautiful scene: birds flitting about, bullfrogs croaking from near a medium sized lake with reeds and water lilies protruding from the water's surface, and an occasional grazing deer. The clearing was surrounded by looming trees, giving a cozy, enclosed feel in spite of the massive space inside.

Keefe turned to the wooden door and knocked four times, snapped and knocked again once. After waiting for a minute, the knob turned and the door opened, revealing a spacious living room, complete with a cotton carpet, an already lit fireplace, and of course, gigantic bean bags. The Black Swan had a tendency to include these pieces of furniture in their living spaces. The figure who opened the door looked like a walking statue, covered from head-to-toe with chunks of granite.

"Hi, T—uh, Granite," Keefe awkwardly greeted the half-carved living statue. He cut himself off when he noticed another person in the room: Wylie, Prentice's—the Keeper of the Black Swan—son.

Granite was the name of one of the members of the Collective, at least when he was in disguise. His real name was Tiergan, and mentored at the noble academy Foxfire before retiring as a result of the memory break on Prentice. He was also Wylie's adoptive father. Then he returned to mentor Sophie in Telepathy since he was a part of the project that created her, called Project Moonlark.

There were also others watching him enter. Tam, whom Keefe called Bangs Boy because of his silver-tipped bangs, was sitting in a beanbag next to his sister, Linh, who also had silver-ended hair. They were banished from the elvin world as a result of all of the floods Linh caused, melted their registry pendants and dipped their hair in it as a rebellious act posed towards their parents who stood by and let it happen.

Fitz and Biana were also in the room, with Fitz slumped over a book and Biana sunk in a beanbag, doing her hair. The pampered princess that appeared before him always needed to look good, but she really wasn't that delicate. Biana had tackled Keefe more than once. She also had her close calls. Fitz, the Golden Boy, had his fair share of near deaths too, as well as Tam and Linh and the rest of their friends that weren't present.

Everyone looked up and acknowledged Keefe with a wave or a nod and went back to minding their own business. "Why's Wylie here?" Keefe whispered to Granite. Granite's eyes followed Keefe's to the young man in the seat next to Tam.

"I know you're talking about me," Wylie stated. "So let me tell you, I'm in on your little game of tag with the people who killed my mom. You can call Granite Tiergan and Mr. Forkle—oops, forgot you didn't know his real identity." He winked teasingly.

"Okay, okay, we all have jobs to do. Now that Keefe's present, Linh and Biana can meet Sophie at the rendezvous point for the recon, Wylie and Fitz will come with me to another hideout, and Tam and Keefe, the Leapmaster 10,000 is on the fourth floor." Granite said. "Everyone, report back here in five hours."

They all said, "Ok." And hurried to their jobs.

Okay. Keefe thought. Just play nice.

RR:

lovekotlc: I know right?! There's just that, like, feeling!

06KoolKid101: I might... that's a good idea! And sorry for forgetting your review in The Vacker Legacy.

(A/N) Yay! A decently sized chapter! Just so you know, I posted this as a new story but then decided to add it to this collection. Keep your eyes peeled for another update on one of my other stories, and please review. PM me any questions. K, see ya!

-Verdi