I wrote this chapter for the first time on election night and it was trash so I'm rewriting it. Honestly, I shouldn't be allowed a platform I can write on when I'm stressed. Texas was blue for a solid hour and a half and if that isn't the second best thing (Biden/Harris winning was number one, obvs) to come out of these past weeks I don't know what is. Also, I thought this fanfiction was going to be over before Unlocked but it might not be. This story is cannon compliant with the events of Legacy with the exception of Dex and Fitz being gay disasters, but it will not be cannon compliant with the events of Unlocked. Here's to hoping that with Keefe's POV we find out that he's totally gay for Tam and has been using fake love for Sophie to hide it. (Btw there's one more chapter after this one)

A Very Obsessed Fangirl: YES I AGREE. RAINBOWS AND SWORDS AND FITZ AND DEX KISSING ARE MY THREE FAVORITE THINGS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.

Keefe-Foster (1): I respectfully disagree, but, if you think that they don't care about money why are you here?

Keefe-Foster(2): I like Fitz! Who says they don't like Fitz?! He's just confused™

Fitz Vacker and I fit. Like pieces of a puzzle we fit. His rough edges click in with mine. He's bad at Alchemy, I'm great at it. He's good at conversations and I trip over my own words. We have ourselves figured out, I, the gay, and he, all of the perfect things in the world including the fact that he's gay for me. Me. Not Keefe, not Tam, Me. And, he's just the perfect amount taller than I am. I stand just the right amount up on my tippy toes to kiss him and when I lean into him he can rest his chin on my head. I am sitting in Slurps and Burps waiting for Fitz to show up. I promised him lessons in Alchemy at two AM over imparter the other night. Another two pieces that fit, agreeing that sleep is for losers when there is conversation to be had. A noble is counting out her change. She counts out two hundred lusters for a couple vials of cold medications. I almost feel bad for her. Not them, because in this world it's us or them and I am not a traitor, but I feel bad for the individuals who have to scrape for hair dye to keep up the idea that their roots don't grey. She counts out the last ten of her lusters as my boyfriend walks in, holding the door open for someone wearing a hood pulled so far over their head I can't see their face. Fitz is looking at them confusedly. We both watch as the hooded figure slides an envelope over the counter as they exit the shop with the noble.

"Huh," I say, looking at the envelope. I gesture with one hand for Fitz to come to my side of the counter as I pick up the envelope to inspect it further. "Think it's a bomb?" He laughs. Oh, what a sound. Like the roar of the ocean and the rustling of wind through trees. The feeling of a room full of people and the dog choosing you. If I were to go deaf I'd want his laugh to be the last thing I hear. My name is in curly writing across the front. Dexter Alvin Dizznee. I shudder at my middle name. Sophie told me that in the Forbidden Cities there's a singing chipmunk with the name Alvin and ever since, I've hated it. I break open the back of the envelope and pull out a sheet of paper, sliding one of my hands into Fitz's as I read the words.

The Council Of The Lost Cities has asked for a meeting with Dexter Alvin Dizznee (They've written my name in a pre-typed card) At Four in the Afternoon at the Seat Of Eminence Today.

Fitz is reading over my shoulder.

"I wonder what that's about," he says, stiffening his grip on me. I don't know how he feels about Team Valiant, but nobody likes to be left behind. I know how it feels to be unwanted. This thought prompts me to glance over at a shelf in the back corner of the shop. It's a shelf of random gadgets I've made, on the bottom in the back corner I put Sophie's old enhancer nails, the ones that became too weak for her after she reset her powers.

"I probably have a new assignment for us," I say, tearing my glance away from the only proof that I've been useful to glance up at Fitz. He flinches at the word us. It makes me sad, the only us he should be worrying about is the us that is our relationship. I stand up on my toes to kiss him. He's surprised at first, giving a cute little squeak as he closes his eyes. We're laughing as I cup his face with the hand that isn't still holding his. Our lips lock. Two more pieces that fit. His other hand goes to my waist. I can feel it shaking with his laughter.

Never has love ever made me so joyously happy.

We part, he's grinning. I can't believe I ever thought I didn't like him, I almost melt into a puddle at the sight of his smile.

"What was that for?" He asks me.

"Like I need a reason," I retort, bringing my hand off his face. His smile widens, dimples form at the base of his cheeks. This makes me even more happy. I've never seen his dimples before. I think at the sight of them my face lights up even more, because Fitz goes,

"What?"

"It's just. It's just," I stand up on my toes again, using my hand to push his head to the side so I can kiss the dimple. "Dimple" I say. He laughs. No, he guffaws. His head tips back in a giggle, and glances at the ceiling. "Anyway," I untwine our fingers and reach under the counter for some random alchemy supplies, setting them on top of the random mess of wires and lusters that is the countertop. Inspecting the ingredients I find just the right amount to make pink hair dye. I dig around under the counter for the gallon size cauldron I keep next to the box of lusters.

"What am I looking at?" Fitz asks, holding up a brownish vial to a ray of sun.

"Gulon Poop. Main ingredient in most hair dye," Fitz whistles. What a sound. I swear, every sound to come out of his mouth is sorcery. He's an ethereal being made of magic and sunshine and rainbows.

Fitz and I step outside after a solid hour and a half of 'alchemy'. I lock the door behind us as Sophie and Stina walk up, holding protesting signs under their arms looking pink and winded from the screaming and the protesting. They're also both holding envelopes similar to mine. At this point they both know about Fitz and I. Basically everyone knows about us at this point. Most of them were… Fine. Most of the elves were fine with it. Our friends were cool with it, but I don't know about the rest of the Elvin world. I reach for Fitz's hand. I can see a mother and a child looking at us warily. I flinch.

One revolution at a time I guess.

Fitz is looking at the envelopes in their hands, and then back to mine.

"I guess this is my cue then," he says. I want to take him with me, but I can't. I stand up on my toes to kiss him on the cheek, then dig around in my pocket for the leaping crystals I got from the Councillors leading to The Seat of Eminence.

"Ready?" I ask, turning away from my boyfriend to look at Sophie and Stina. They nod at me, I hold the crystal up to the light. We step in.

We step inside the building, per usual we light up. I look around, Biana and Wylie are nowhere to be seen. The twelve Councillors step into the light, per usual looking all shiny and magical. They look angry. The three of us scoot closer to each other. I feel Sophie's hand slip into one of mine and Stina's into my other. It takes me a second to realize. Wylie isn't here. I'm the 'strong male presence'. It takes all of my self control not to burst out laughing at the thought. Sophie could protect the three of us better than I could. I try not to think about how Stina can feel everything I'm feeling.

"You need to stop," Emery says. Even lacking the Empathy Ability I can feel how confused Sophie and Stina are.

"Stop what?" Stina asks,

"Sir," I add after her. It doesn't look like any of the Council is happy with our responses.

"The whole, let's get rid of the classism act," Emery says. I can tell he's telepathically talking to the other Councillors because I see him nod and flinch. He wants us to stop. They want us to stop. Sophie squeezes my hand. I take this as a signal and squeeze Stina's.

"I mean no disrespect Sir," Sophie says, keeping her gaze calmly on Emery. "I really don't, but that's not going to happen," I knew this was coming but it hits me in the face anyway. Instead of looking at us like we're crazy Stina is nodding along to what we're saying.

"We've gone too far in to turn around and stop now Sir," I say,

"There's no stopping the entire working class," Stina says,

"Sir,"

"Sir." The Councillors grunt in frustration. I hear one of them mutter something under their breath along the lines of 'teenagers, bad, and moody'.

"For too long we've been silenced," Sophie starts, cutting herself off so I can finish.

"And now you'll pay."