Oy vey, Lodestar comes out the day after tomorrow! *Panicking issues, even though I won't be getting my copy until later* I won't be able to update for a few days, either. We're going to visit my Uncle who lives in New York (and works for the MET opera, so we'll be going there, and I've never been to an opera before!) for a couple of days, so TONS of driving and a definite lack of wi-fi. (Plus it's considered rude in my family to spend time on the internet when visiting or having visitors...) So enjoy this chapter. I should be back in a few days. And I promise I'll be getting back to reviewing other people's stories when I get back.

I got enthusiastic reviews! I'm so happy! Here we are:
BlackSwanGirl: *Is grinning evilly because I love theories and demands, but the story marches on, and I really just want to tell you what happens, even though it's right below...*
KOTLC 1 Fan: YOU'RE GETTING IT?! YAYAYAYAYAY! ! ! ! ! ! (Ohhhh, I figured out how to sneak multiple !'s in ! ! ! ! ! ! !) Are you getting it from Changing Hands? That's where I'm getting mine, too! :)
PokeMANS: Poor Keefe, that seems to be his state of being anymore... And no, I have never heard of that. What is it?

Now, I have an important question: does anyone else find themselves singing random advertisements for things that you would never buy but THE TUNES ARE JUST SO DRATTED CATCHY!?

Chapter 20

Sophie woke to the realization that someone was tapping quietly on the window. Her first thought was to scream for Sandor, but as her mind cleared, she pushed aside the fear. If it were kidnappers, they wouldn't be knocking. She jumped from the bed, pulled on a sweater, and opened the curtains.

It was Keefe. And a girl. Sophie stared, her mind blank.

"Sophie please, let us in," Keefe mouthed.

Sophie opened the window. "Keefe, what are you doing here? What's going on, who is that?" she stage whispered.

The girl faltered, and Keefe steadied her awkwardly with his elbow because his hands were full of a bundle that looked suspiciously like a child. As Keefe's grip shifted, dull, sleepy human thoughts drifted into Sophie's mind.

"Is that a…"

"Please, Sophie," Keefe whispered urgently, interrupting. "She's going to fall."

Sophie reluctantly stepped aside, letting them by. She knew what it was like to have trouble with elven skills.

They filed in and sat on the flowery carpet. Wedging a stool against her door for extra protection from untimely goblin interference, Sophie moved onto her bed, studying her visitors. Keefe had a tight black hat pulled over his usually well bodied hair, and dark circles under his eyes. Cradled in his lap lay a tiny boy with soft, light brown hair, sleeping peacefully. Beside him, the strange girl was clinging tightly to Keefe's arm. She had tow hair, which fell over the right side of her face, laying beside her nose and petering away from her mouth, completely obscuring her forehead and her right eye, eyebrow, cheek, ear, and temple. She wore a device on her arm - a smartwatch, Sophie remembered. They had just started becoming more widely popular when she left the forbidden cities a year ago.

The forbidden cities. This girl had access to the human world. Sophie's eyes darted between the teens before her.

"Um, so, this is Kelse," Keefe said, breaking the awkward silence. "Kelse, Sophie. Sophie, Kelse. Sophie, I'm so sorry to just drop in like this. I promise you, if it were for me, I wouldn't ask, wouldn't bother you. But Kelse needed help, and I didn't know who else to ask."

Great. Because that didn't make it more weird. It broke Sophie's heart to think that Keefe wouldn't be willing to come to her with his own problems, but he would come to her for this girl. She wasn't jealous, she told herself, just sad.

"I don't know, Keefe," she managed. "After all, you're kind of a fugitive right now. I don't see what I could do." It was a lame excuse, but she needed time to wrap her mind around what was happening.

"Just listen, please. I'm sure you can fix this. You've always had-" his voice caught- "a knack for fixing things."

Sophie's eyes welled, but she listened patiently while the girl explained the situation. Her voice was soft and shy. Her fingers gripped Keefe's arm so hard the tips showed white, but he didn't seem to notice. Watching their effortless familiarity, and the way Keefe was rocking unconsciously back and forth, soothing the little human in exactly the right way (she could tell from the contented, sleepy thoughts Danny - as the boy was named - was exuding) made her feel strange. Keefe really seemed to have found a place he belonged, where he could even be happy some day, and it wasn't with her or her friends.

"…So I was thinking of Alluveterre," Keefe said when Kelse had finished. I know you can't tell us where it is, but if you could take Danny there, keep him safe while we sort this out, I don't know how we could ever thank you."

Sophie tried to ignore the part of her brain that was shrieking 'HE SAID WE LIKE WE' and weighed the problem.

"You know how you could repay me, Keefe," she said after a moment.

"Sophie…" His voice held so much sadness.

"I know you think this is the only way, and I do trust you, but there has to be a better answer. You aren't bad."

"Sophie, no. Even if there was another way, it's too late now. You can't fix me. There are some things you just can't fix. But you can fix Danny. Give him the chance you would've given me. Please."

His eyes… Sophie had to look away, burying her face behind her hair. She felt dangerously close to tears, and a sob was building in her chest. She peeked up at Danny. Sleeping as he was, he reminded her of Amy, her human sister. Shakily, she got to her feet and lurched for her imparter.

"I'll be right back," she said. She still trusted Keefe, but he was Neverseen now. She couldn't be careless with secrets. She opened her bedroom door…

…and slammed right into a rock hard wall of grey, gobliny muscle.

"Miss Foster," squeaked Sandor.

"S- Sandor!" Sophie rushed to shut the door behind her.

"May I ask what you are doing in there?"

"Well, funny thing, um- Oh, come on, Sandor," Sophie gasped, "you probably heard the whole thing."

"I did, actually." Sandor didn't look at all sorry for eavesdropping, even if it was in his job description. "You really plan on helping them, even though they are fugitives, without notifying anyone?"

"I am going to tell the Black Swan, and maybe some of the others, but I don't think he wants to see anyone, and I can't just turn him in to the council. He's my friend."

Sandor let out a squeaky sigh, and Sophie knew it sounded a little far fetched calling Keefe her friend after all he'd done, but it was still true, somehow.

"Very well, but I'm coming with you," he said.

"Sandor, what if the Black Swan won't let you?"

"The Black Swan and I have an agreement." The tone in his voice made Sophie as nervous as the words. What was that supposed to mean?

"I just have to go call, uh, Mr. Forkle. I'll be right back!" Sophie slipped around Sandor and trudged down the stairs. She finally decided on Jolie's room, and, after closing the door behind her, whispered to her Imparter;

"Show me Magnate Leto."

There was a tense moment of silence, then the man's voice cut through, a second before his face appeared.

"You kids, thinking you can keep your elders on call for all hours. Don't you think I have better things to do?"

"Hi," said Sophie, grinning.

"You didn't call me to say Hi, did you?" snapped the principle.

"Actually, no." Solemnly, Sophie explained what had happened, and what Keefe was hoping for. Magnate Leto's brow furrowed in a way that was unlike the principle, but a little like Mr. Forkle as he listened.

"And you just want to do it," he finished for her. "Without a second thought. Someone needs help, and everything else gets tossed to the wind. You kids, so predictable."

"I'm not being rash," Sophie protested, "I have given it a second thought. But in the end, they need my help, and this might be a good way to not only earn back Keefe's trust, but get his friend's as well."

Magnate Leto sighed. "You have a point, as much as the responsible adult in me wants to deny it. This is a risky move, but it's the right thing to do. I'll be right over."

"You, or…"

"Mr. Forkle will be right over," he corrected. "Honestly, I've been at this a few years, you know. You kids…" he cut the connection.

Sophie was heading back to her room when Edaline appeared in the hall in front of her.

"Sophie, is something the matter? What's going on in your room?"

Sophie swallowed. She didn't know how much to say. At last, she said "I'm going to Alluveterre. Mr. Forkle is coming to pick me up, and… um, someone else, too."

Edaline looked searchingly into Sophie's face for a moment.

"Keefe's here, isn't he," she said softly.

Sophie didn't bother gaping. Edaline was too good at reading her for anything to surprise her anymore.

"May I see him?" she asked.

"I don't know, he might feel weird. Plus, he's here with a girl and her cousin. It's the cousin that they're looking for asylum for. He's just a little kid."

Edaline sighed, but smiled tightly at Sophie. "I know you too well, Sophie. I also understand your reluctance to let me see them. Promise me you'll be careful." She wrapped Sophie in a hug.

"I will," Sophie said, her voice muffled in Edaline's shoulder.

Edaline pulled away and went back to her room. Sophie brushed by Sandor, who glared at her, and stuck her head into her own room. "Mr. Forkle's coming for us. Sandor will take you outside, quietly, while I get changed, if you don't mind."

"Of course," the strange girl - Kelse - said, getting up right away. Keefe lingered a second longer, looking around the room with so many emotions on his face; sadness, regret, longing. It passed quickly, and he let Kelse tug him up and out the door.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sophie was so startled by the shrill voice it took her a minute to realize that the visitors had been sitting at the edge of Vertina's range. She had subconsciously gone to stand by the mirror as she dressed.

"Frankly, Vertina, I don't know. But I can't just turn my back on them."

"Well, I think you're asking for trouble," the mirror girl advised. "And don't wear that ridiculous grey-brown tunic! It looks absurd on you." With that, she clicked off, leaving Sophie wondering whether to smile and shake her head, or be really worried.