"Keefe... no..." Sophie didn't even try to stop the tears from swelling, and soon she was sobbing hard, her tears falling onto the already soggy letter.

"KEEFE! NO!" she screeched, tearing the paper in half and falling face-first onto her mattress.

"What's the matter, sweety? Something bothering you?" Edaline came walking in. Sophie sat up violently and thrust one of the torn shreds of Keefe's letter into her adoptive mother's face. Then she let go and let it flutter to the ground, sobbing so loudly that she couldn't hear Grady walk in.

"Is there a prob... oh," he mumbled, glancing nervously at the torn shreds of paper sprinkled around the flowery carpet.

"OH?!" Sophie shouted. "OH, AS IN YOU KNEW?!"

"Keefe said it was best for you-"

Edaline shuffled around the paper bits, trying to piece together what happened. Grady whispered something into her ear and she froze, the puzzle pieces she had been messing with flapping to the ground.

SOPHIE OKAY?! SOPHIE OKAY?! came the traumatizingly loud voice of Silveny in Sophie's head. It only made Sophie sob louder, and before Grady could open his mouth to say something, Sophie shoved past the two of them and clambered out into the hall.

Everything was a blur as she slid down the stairs like a penguin, and she ignored Fitz, who had just arrived in a hurry of explosive emotions, and kept running, past the kitchen, through the halls and rooms until she found Edaline's medicine cabinet. She fiddled through the jars and bags and whatnots until she felt Fitz's hand on her shoulder.

"Sophie-" he tried to begin.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she cried, fumbling with a bright green vial. Fitz's eyes widened. "That's not what I think it is, is it-?"

Sophie nodded briefly and began unscrewing the cap. "Where did you learn about that stuff?!" Fitz squeaked. He snatched the vial from her hand, but Sophie was stronger. One step with her foot and the vial was thrust out of his hands and shoved right back into Sophie's palm. Good thing Keefe taught me that. Even just thinking Keefe's name made her mind blur with rage. She sprinted to the longest hall, Fitz begging for her to stop. But Sophie wouldn't. She pictured Keefe's icy blue eyes, his famous smirk before she realized that she had switched to teleportation and was dropping into the void.

o0o

"Where am I?" Sophie whispered aloud, her rage pausing for a heartwarming second. She was still struggling to take in the view around her. Standing in an icy realm of freezing cold, the only thing in the distance a small wooden cabin. Before she could start off in that direction, or chug down the vial she held, she heard a chilling, "Foster?"

She turned, to face two shocked blue eyes. Sophie had never seen Keefe in this light. She'd always thought of him being there for her- even when he left for the Neverseen, he promised he would be back. His expression was terrified, and he stepped back nervously as if another word he said would kill her.

"Keefe-" she started, then stopped, realizing she was reaching out with her right hand, then jerked back. Keefe noticed the vial she was holding.

Sophie shoved the green vial backward, behind her back, her cape flying madly in the snowy wind.

"Keefe, you know I can never forget you," Sophie whispered.

Keefe rolled his eyes. All Sophie wanted was his confident smirk- just one more time, then she could go. Now that she knew she could teleport to him any time also. Keefe shook his head. He seemed scared, and his eyes said, "I can never forget you either, but I have to."

Keefe, Sophie transmitted.

I TOLD YOU TO FORGET ME! Sophie winced at how loud his mental voice was.

I just said, Keefe, I can never forget you. I didn't even mean to teleport to you anyway- I was trying to run away from Fitz so I could drink the Centaslumber potion. Sophie told him.

You were going to drink that? Keefe's mental voice seemed to shrink back.

Yes, Keefe, I was. You said you "just wanted to keep me safe" but leaving only makes it worse. You're just poking the fire. Sophie murmured, disappointed that he didn't make a Fitzphie fail joke.

Sophie...

Yes? Please don't kick me out, you should've told me in person so I could slap you before you left, Sophie murmured, trying out the 'joke coping mechanism' Keefe always used.

I'm glad you came.

Really? I thought you wanted me to go away forever and live alone in your selfish little corner of your world.

Keefe cringed.

Sorry-

No, I deserved that.

Is that your cabin?

Yeah.

How'd you get it so fast?

It doesn't matter.

It does, Keefe.

I bet your parents are freaking out.

Well, I almost drank a centaslumber potion, yelled at everyone who tried to talk to me... I'm pretty sure I'm grounded for eternity.

They already did that.

That was a while ago.

I remember that time. Keefe mussed with his hair and sighed.

Me too. Sophie couldn't stop the tears from falling, like drops of hail, raining to her boots like tictacs.

Keefe walked over and grasped Sophie's hand, and began pulling her towards the cabin in the distance.

"Keefe, you know I'm not going back without you. And I can always teleport the council over here to take you back themselves," Sophie pointed out as they reached the wooden door.

I didn't know you could teleport to people like that, Keefe admitted. Sophie shook her head. "Neither did I," she shrugged. "But I'm glad I did. If I hadn't, I would be asleep for the next 100 years."

Would you really have done that? Keefe asked as Sophie marveled at the glittering insides of the cabin mansion. Yeah. Was Sophie's one-word answer.

I never meant to hurt you, Keefe promised. Sophie didn't respond. After a heartbreaking silence, she asked, "So. Are you coming back or not?"