Before we start, I would like to thank the people that have reviewed this fanfic and have had a part in making it what it is:
– Go read her (or his) amazing story as well! Teal Love
Wonderland A.K.A. Cay Cay – She (or he) gives great constructive criticism that helps me to improve!
WritingLover 21 – Thank you for talking with me!
wolfgirl3017 – Thank you for being one of the first people to review…hope you're still reading!
Okay, if I forgot you, PLEASE let me know. I'll definitely want to thank you in my next chapter. I tried my best to get everybody, but my computer is acting a bit wacky.
If you want to read the disclaimers, they are in previous chapters.
And…enjoy! Here's another rushed chapter for ya!
Oh, and yes, there will be another chapter…
[Fit'z POV]
Fitz…Neverseen…help…
Fitz's eyes widened.
He was eating dinner with his family, the Vacker's quiet as they ate. But as soon as he heard Sophie's call for help, he shot up, knocking over his chair and glass in the process.
"Sophie! Needs – in trouble! Help!" In his state of panic and confusion, he couldn't seem to find the correct words.
Hold on Sophie. I'm coming! He hoped Sophie could hear him.
Della and Alden stared blankly at him. But Biana picked up on the issue, saying, "Sophie's in trouble!"
Fitz nodded vigorously. "I have to help her. She sent me an image of her location!"
Alden cleared his throat. "Fitz, calm down. Tell us slowly – what's wrong with Sophie?" His voice was calm, but his expression revealed his worry.
Fitz didn't have time for this. Sophie needed help! She was…
"Neverseen," he blurted, hoping his parents would stop questioning and just come along. Not waiting for a response, Fitz ran out of the dining room. He ran as fast as he could while nodding at Grizel to follow him.
He had to get to Atlantis, fast. He didn't know what trouble Sophie was in, but he felt his eyes burning with panic.
What if she's hurt? What if it's more than hurt? What if…
He stopped himself. Now was not the time to dwell on negative thoughts, only on saving Sophie.
He was wondering if she had clicked her panic switch and if Dex would already be there when he jumped into the whirlpool, Grizel right behind him.
Please be okay. Please Sophie, he silently begged.
"Sophie can handle herself," Grizel reassured Fitz when they arrived.
Fitz nodded and didn't wait for his family to come through, instead was running as fast as he could to get to the alleyway still freshly implanted in his mind.
He could tell Grizel was slightly worried about Sandor. But they both knew that Sandor could handle himself as well.
When he and Grizel stalked around a fountain, looking for signs of trouble, they saw no potential dangers.
The two made their way slowly into the alleyway, Fitz transmitting Sophie's name – he figured calling it out wouldn't give him the cognito effect that he was going for.
He spotted an unconscious figure on the floor, and immediately dropped to his knees beside it, Grizel doing the same next to him.
Fitz's breath caught in his throat.
It was Sophie.
Grizel checked for a pulse and nodded to Fitz, letting him know that her breathing was steady and her heart rate normal.
Sophie? Can you hear me? Stay with me, Soph.
He wasn't sure what to do next when Biana appeared out of nowhere. Her jaw dropped at the sight of unconscious Sophie.
"Fitz?" She was whispering. "Please tell me she's okay."
"I think she'll be fine."
Biana let out a sigh of relief.
"Hail Elwin, quickly, just in case," Grizel ordered.
Biana nodded and pulled out her imparter.
Elwin's face appeared on the screen. "Biana? Is everything okay?"
"We think so, but Sophie's unconscious." She described their whereabouts as best and as fast as she could.
"On my way." Elwin's face disappeared from the screen.
Fitz had been stroking Sophie's hair and transmitting calming things. The words were directed at Sophie, but he was mostly trying to calm himself.
"What happened?" Biana sank down on Sophie's opposite side.
"I don't know. We found her here just like this." He wished he could've been there when this had happened – whatever had happened. He would have protected Sophie.
"Where's mom and dad?" He was starting to think more clearly now.
"Oh, I probably should've mentioned this already." She looked guiltily at Grizel. "We were right behind you, but then Woltzer spotted Sophie's bodyguards – all of them – encased in force fields. They seemed unharmed from the quick look I took, but I wanted to help find Sophie, so I turned invisible and followed you two."
Grizel and Fitz let out breaths they hadn't realized they had been holding. As far as they knew, Sophie's bodyguards were okay. And that explained why Sophie was alone without protection.
"Biana, will you hail Grady and Edaline? They should be here," Grizel told Biana.
Biana pulled out her imparter.
Edaline's image absorbed the screen.
"Biana!" Her face fell when she saw Biana's expression. "Is everything alright?"
"Um…" Biana didn't seem to know how to say it. So she started from the beginning. She kept it short, but still relayed the events thoroughly. She started with Fitz receiving the transmission, to them rushing over and seeing the bodyguards, and finally, with Sophie's unconscious state. She told Edaline that she had hailed Elwin already, and that Sophie seemed to be okay, just not awake.
Edaline listened intently, then after frantically getting directions, hung up to grab Grady and rush over. But not before she mentioned how Sophie had gone to Atlantis with Linh.
"Linh isn't here, Biana," Fitz said, not liking their circumstances.
Biana gave him a worried look, but before she could respond, Elwin rushed into the alleyway followed by Alden and Della.
"What happened?" Elwin didn't waste a second while giving Sophie a thorough check-up, then an elixir to wake her up. He said that it would take at least half an hour for it to kick in because he found that she had inhaled a sedative.
While Biana and Grizel explained what they knew, Fitz thought, poor Sophie. She hates sedatives.
"Before she wakes up, let's move her out of this cramped area," Elwin said. He stood up and asked if Alden would carry Sophie.
Alden immediately obliged, and they brought Sophie out to a secluded bench that overlooked the fountain.
Fitz wouldn't leave Sophie's side, even knowing that she was okay.
After about two minutes of wondering where Linh had gone, Grady and Edaline ran over to the bench.
"What happened?" Grady looked like he had jumped out of Verdi's pen to come. He was covered in mud and vibrant feathers.
Edaline plopped down next to Fitz and looked at Sophie while everyone explained what they knew.
Fitz noticed how much stronger the couple had become. Fitz could imagine this situation a year ago, and they would've been a hot mess. But today Edaline sat calmly by Sophie after confirming that she was okay.
Sophie tended to have that effect on people.
Edaline reached up a hand to tuck a strand of Sophie's blond hair behind her ear, then turned around saying, "Where's Linh?"
Everyone shared a look of…well, a lot of things. Confusion, for one. And maybe a hint of surprise.
Fitz came to first. "Let's think about what we know. Sophie went with Linh to Atlantis. I got a transmission that included the word 'Neverseen', and when we came to help, we only find Sophie. Linh isn't here. Maybe the Neverseen took Linh." As much as it pained him to say it, this was their best guess.
Fitz pulled out his imparter and hailed Mr. Forkle. His ever wrinkly face lit up the screen. "Ah, young Mr. Vacker. You would like to tell me something?" He gave Fitz a heartwarming smile, but nothing at the moment could warm Fitz's heart. "Is something the matter?"
"We found Sophie sedated in Atlantis after receiving a transmission for help. She was supposedly out with Linh, but Linh isn't here. Also, Sophie mentioned Neverseen in her call for help," Fitz blurted.
Forkle stared at the screen. Then he asked for directions and quickly hung up.
Everyone stood thoughtfully, no one knowing what to say.
That's when Fitz remembered Sophie's bodyguards.
"Um…who's with Sandor and the others?"
Everyone shared a guilty look.
Grady grabbed his imparter and hailed Lady Zillah from Foxfire. She was their only "ally" shade at the moment…now that Tam wasn't there.
She told him she was on her way, and they ended the call.
No one seemed to know what to say. And then Sophie shifted. Her eyes squinted and started to flutter open. She muttered, "Linh…no, please listen…don't do it!"
She didn't seem to realize where she was or who she was with until Fitz grabbed her hand.
She bolted upright into a sitting position, but started to sway. Fitz sat down next to her and let her lean on him.
She regained balance and smiled faintly at him.
But her smile didn't last. As soon as it fell, Sophie clutched her head and shook it.
"No. No, no, no, no."
"Sophie, how are you feeling?" Edaline leaned closer, but Fitz could tell Sophie wasn't listening. Everyone began to ask her questions, but Sophie continued to shake her head in disbelief.
Loud enough for Fitz to hear, Sophie mumbled, "I must be dreaming. Yep. This isn't real. Linh didn't…"
No one seemed to realize Sophie's condition, so Fitz held up a hand to everyone's faces to quiet them. He turned to Sophie and grasped her hands in his. Then he whispered gently, "Hey, Soph?" He tilted her head so that she was forced to look into his eyes. That seemed to snap her out of her daze. She looked around, then pinched herself.
Wait…Fitz blinked. Pinched?
"I'm…not dreaming." Sophie turned towards Fitz, her lip trembling, and flung her arms around him. Fitz was familiar with the gesture, Sophie tended to hug him when she needed support. She was shaking slightly, he noticed, so he pulled her close.
Edaline moved behind them and rubbed slow circles around Sophie's back.
Once Sophie finally pulled away, everyone seemed to realize that she knew everything that they didn't.
Biana spoke up first. "Sophie? Um…where's Linh?" Biana obviously tried to ask cautiously, as if she knew Sophie didn't want to talk about it.
Looking at her face, Fitz could tell that she really didn't want to. But she did anyway.
"Linh," her voice cracked at the name, "she told me that she wanted to support Tam like he always did for her. I tried to stop her…but she went v-voluntarily with the Neverseen." Everyone's eyes widened. "And I couldn't stop her," she whispered.
Uh oh. Fitz knew that look. Sophie was blaming herself. He had to knock some sense into her.
But…Linh? With the Neverseen? Fitz would've never guessed.
The group in front of Sophie began discussing potential reasons and motives. Fitz grabbed Sophie's shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. Her beautiful, gold-flecked, gorgeous…
He reminded himself to focus.
"Sophie, whatever is going through your mind, I want to make sure you know that this is not your fault. If Linh really did go, and you tried to stop her, I know you tried your best. I know that you did everything that you could to help her see clearly. Please don't blame yourself for her decisions."
She looked straight back into his eyes. "That's exactly what Linh said before she left," she whispered. Fitz had never seen her face look so hopeless. He held out his arms for her.
She didn't hesitate. She hugged him – tight. As if he were the only thing keeping her together.
Mr. Forkle stepped forward. "I know that we all don't like it, but all we can do for now is exactly what we have been doing – figuring out a way to break not only Tam, but Linh away from the Neverseen."
No one seemed to like the idea, but they had nothing better. They all nodded in understanding.
Sophie pulled away from Fitz and buried her face in her hands. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.
I won't let her blame herself.
He couldn't let her. She wasn't going to lose her sanity on his watch.
Grady walked up to Sophie. Fitz began to pull away uncomfortably, but Grady motioned for him to stay.
He bent down and said gently, "Hey, kiddo. How're you holding up?"
Sophie peeked through her fingers. "Dad…Linh," was all she managed to get out.
Grady got that you're about to get a speech from your father look on his face. "Sophie, we all know how hard you tried to stop her. If any of us had been there, it would've ended the same way. If you couldn't persuade her, no one could've."
Fitz nodded in agreement.
"Thanks," Sophie said.
"And anyway," Grady continued, "we're going to get them back. So in the long run, it'll be like nothing happened."
Sophie nodded.
Grady rose a gave Fitz a little wink before walking off.
After Elwin had given Sophie another thorough check-up and had given her tons of elixirs, he left and told Sophie to hail him if there were any problems.
Mr. Forkle hailed the collective to update them on the surprising news. But there were still many questions,
Why hadn't they taken Sophie when she was so vulnerable?
Who were the Neverseen that met up with Linh?
What had caused Linh to take this course of action?
…and those were only a few.
Fitz still hadn't moved from Sophie's side when everyone realized that there was no reason to sit in the middle of Atlantis doing nothing.
Eventually, everyone had left except for Fitz and Sophie's family.
Grady and Edaline seemed to realize (or at least Edaline) that Fitz wanted Sophie alone for a minute, so they scooted to the other side of the fountain where they conversed in hushed tones.
Sophie turned to Fitz. She seemed to have a clearer mind now. Earlier she had been a mess.
"Thank you," she said.
Fitz looked at her questioningly.
Her answer was to stare at the arm he had around her. Then she said, "You've been by my side always, and you're here when I need it most. I don't know what I would do without you." She leaned further against him.
The thought made him blush. He hoped Sophie wouldn't notice in the dark. Sandor and the others had met up with Edaline and Grady and were getting filled in on the happenings.
"Of course Sophie. I'll always be here for you. I just hope you know that this whole ordeal isn't your fault."
She nodded. "I'm just sad. I mean, I didn't notice how hard it has really been for Linh without Tam, and then I watched her join a bunch of…murderers. She's had it harder than most of us and no one stopped to realize it." She sighed. "Poor Linh."
That was Sophie. Setting aside all her problems to worry about other people's.
"I guess we all had our own problems, and everyone just assumed we'd get Tam away from them soon enough." He studied her face. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"
She did, covering their shopping and the necklace, how Linh began to act nervous, how she pulled her over into that alleyway, and then how the Neverseen showed up.
By the tone of her voice, Fitz could only imagine how helpless Sophie had felt. She had – what? – five abilities? And none of them could've stopped Linh.
"Do you think they forced her to do it? A hydrokinetic, especially one as powerful as Linh, could come in handy."
"Possibly," she answered. "But if not, I just hope Linh did it for the right reasons. She didn't exactly seem herself today."
They sat in silence for a few moments.
Fitz said, "Who's going to tell Dex and Keefe?"
Sophie straightened up. "I…" she hesitated. "Actually, will you?"
He smiled. "Of course.'
She leaned further into his embrace. "Thanks, Fitz. It's nice to know that I can always count on you."
His heart fluttered at the thought. Sophie really was perfect, even with all of her flaws.
Sophie seemed to decide on a subject change. "I was thinking. Should we ask Mr. Forkle about my…my genetic parents?" She asked tentatively.
"Honestly, it doesn't matter to me. If you want the scrolls, it's up to you."
She yawned. He could almost hear the smile in her voice as she said, "I think I'll wait it out."
That sat in silence once more.
"You've had a long day. Want to head back?" Fitz looked down at Sophie.
Her breathing had slowed, and her body was still.
Sophie had fallen asleep.
"Sweet dreams," Fitz whispered.
Thanks for making it to the end! I feel like that "sweet dreams" line made Fitz sound creepy. Oh well.
As always, I apologize for any grammar, spelling, or format issues. I tried my best to go over it tons of times, but it's kinda long and I can't catch everything.
Also, I know the bodyguard situation was a bit messy, I had to make some last minute changes to a lot of it.
Anywho, I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for the next chapter.
PLEASE REVIEW!