(A/N: SORRY GUYS I KEEP FORGETTING! ALSO, THIS IS A TRASH CHAPTER BUT I HAVE GOOD ONES COMING UP SOON ANYWAY! ENJOY! :P)

Sophie's POV

Mud caked her boots and water sloshed inside as they followed. The little tracker that she had implanted in his cloak was their only lead as they followed the moving little dot. The moon rose high at twilight, shining brightly through the trees. The sound of crunching leaves silenced every other sound as the three of them raced through the woods.

Sophie and Keefe had started chasing this Vanisher around 9:30, and it was twilight now. Sophie was exhausted from running and from their previous long day. Keefe was… Keefe. He was so mysterious sometimes. She had seen the angry, scared, frightened boy beneath his disguise of humor before, and she was worried what he might do if he realized which direction the Neverseen man was going.

It was where the Black Swan had cracked Vespera and Lady Gisela's hideout.

But they had ordered Sophie not to tell Keefe, in fear of what he might do. She hated keeping secrets from him, but she still wasn't sure if she could trust him. He had seemed… different since the last time they had seen Lady Gisela and she had declared he would join her one day. Of course, that had been before they had saved Atlantis and almost destroyed their bodies. And everyone kept joking about it, but she felt differently about it.

She had to keep running. It was her fault that these people kept attacking. They wanted her, the genetically-modified elf with superpowers, and they would stop at nothing. These people wanted to "perfect their world" by ruining it. The Black Swan made her to stop these people. She had never told anyone about this, but Sophie wouldn't stop at anything to save the world. Ever since she had almost died the first time, she had a weird feeling. A bad one, she knew. But it wasn't until Atlantis she knew.

She was going to die.

But she couldn't tell anyone. She had to keep running, for their sake. She had to save them, because, in the end, she knew death was inevitable.

Keefe's POV

Keefe wheezed in a breath. It was almost 1 AM, and he was exhausted. He could barely breathe, and his legs felt like jelly. But when he glanced over at Sophie, all his minor problems faded. He saw her, yawning and eyelids drooping and knew she needed sleep.

"Sophie, you need to sleep," He told her as he cleared out a path to sleep on with her.

"What are you… talking about…" Sophie tried to protest but yawned and collapsed into Keefe's arms. He smiled and laid her onto the ground, taking off his cloak and wrapping it around her. Keefe checked to make sure she was warm and would be safe, and began to get up before she pulled him back down.

"Don't go…" Sophie yawned.

Why is she so CUTE! Keefe's mind screamed. She's so adorable and brave and courageous and way better than me… I'm a total failure… Is she warm enough? Is she feeling okay? What if Grady finds out? Well, then I'm dead meat… no, don't let Sophie die in this cold!

"What?" Keefe asked simply instead.

"Sleep… here…" Sophie patted the ground next to her and yawned again. When Keefe hesitated, she let out a yelp that sounded like "KEEFECOMEHERENOWORI'LLMAKEYOU!"

Keefe felt a smile curling at his lips as he slowly crawled over and awkwardly lay on the ground next to her. He didn't want to seem attached by snuggling close to her but he didn't want to leave her. His brain argued until it agreed to lay close but not weird close.

Sophie leaned over and pulled Keefe closer so he was under the cape too.

Keefe felt a blush creeping up his cheeks when she wrapped her arms around him and kept him close. He reluctantly wrapped his around her too. She was warm and radiating heat under the cloak, which felt good because he was shivering. And only Sophie could manage to whip her hair in his face and still be adorable.

Keefe had never imagined that they could have a moment like this, so close, together. He never dreamed in his wildest dreams of holding her lovingly in his arms, and the fact she had wanted it wouldn't have ever entered his mind.

Even if it's just for this moment, and the universe makes us separate forever, I will keep her with me, He thought with love as he thought about what could happen tomorrow morning. Before he fell asleep he realized he was reading Sophie's emotions without meaning to. He held back a smile as he slowly descended into sleep.

Sophie's POV

The sun began to shine through the trees, resting on Sophie's head as she slowly woke up. The sun was shining beautifully, the trees were illuminated, the flowers smelled wonderful, and she was holding Keefe in her hands. Could life get any better?

Then Sophie noticed Keefe twitching in her arms like a troublesome dream was afflicting upon him. She opened her mind to his and watched his dream.

"Please!" Keefe spluttered through the mouthfuls of blood emerging through his mouth. "Please, just spare her," he begged as another man approached and socked him in the face. The crunch of bones echoed as Keefe kept in another scream. He had almost let one out before, and that had made these guys even more excited. They kept trying to break him, convinced they were close. But Keefe held his ground, taking all the damage he deserved. It was his fault that Sophie had gotten taken, and it was his fault she was…

He tried to shut down his mind but it fought him as it finished dead.

They had dragged his sorry excuse for a body out here in this deadly heat, purposefully hitting him against things. He had been rubbing his head from a particularly brutal bar slam when he saw her. On the ground. Blood swarming around her. Her arms bound to a wall. But the last part was what scared him the most.

The dull blackness of her eyes, promising no life.

With that, Keefe felt the tears try to come, but they were gone. There would be no more crying, no more sadness. He would avenge her. He would kill her killer. He wouldn't forget her.

And surprisingly enough, that was the only way for him to fight these beasts slowly killing him. By standing up for her.

"I miss you, Sophie," He whispered so quietly not even the dead could've heard. And he waited for his next attacker to attack.

Sophie jolted out of his mind, her mind spinning. What was that? A dream, nightmare, vision? She wondered until she realized something.

Keefe was crying.

His ice-blue beauties were leaking tears, streaming down his face. Little sobs escaped his mouths, tearing Sophie's heart apart. She leaned over and shook him awake, waiting for his eyes to open completely. When he finally did, she reached over and hugged him tightly.

"I will always be here for you," She whispered in his ear. To her surprise, Keefe wrapped his arms around her too.

"I know," He whispered back. He pulled back, forcing her to let go for a moment, and she looked straight into his eyes for a moment before they leaned forward and locked lips together.

But that was before they smelled the smoke.