Hi all.

Springgirl: Oh my goodness you mean I-*whispers conspiratorially* made you FANGIRL! That is so cool! Hehehehe no spoilers…but wait until you read this chapter. Thank you so much and here's that review.

EmUnited: Correct indeed. I am actually learning American Sign Language. And your Mom knows Japanese!? That is so cool! My dad knows Spanish and of course English but that is really awesome. And a swimmer!? Awesomesause! What's your favorite stroke? Mine is butterfly but I am best at the 200 IM and 200 free. And thanks for understanding about the drama. Hope you like this chapter!

Thank you all who fav/followed!

A special thank you for everyone who has been so understanding about my personal stuff.

Enjoy.

Sophie POV

I'm not afraid

To take a stand

Everybody

Come take my hand

We'll walk this road together

Eminem blared through Sophie's ear buds at the highest setting, almost blocking out all the thoughts. She felt the thoughts-someone else's thoughts- creeping in and she threw another punch, causing the heavy weight punching bag to violently swing back and forth.

It had been almost a month since she awoke in the hospital able to hear thoughts that weren't her's, since she woke up an even bigger freak than before, if that was even possible. Since then she had done everything she could to clear her head, to free herself from the torturous migraines and unwanted knowledge. Nothing ever worked. She couldn't talk to her family or Luc, what would they say? Were they even her family? Everything was so confusing, like everything that should be normal was foreign and things that should feel wrong and make no sense felt strangely right. She hit the bag again.

And again.

And again.

Once she was panting and sweating like she just ran a marathon Sophie switched to kicks.

Over the past few weeks the gym had become her sanctuary. She could work out all her anger and frustration and fear and even if she couldn't, she was tired enough when she got hope to sleep through the pain. Not only that, but people at the gym tended to be extremely focused, so their thoughts did not bombard Sophie nearly as much as they would in other public places.

Hall of Fame started playing so she matched her workout to that pace. Everyone, herself included had been surprised by her natural talent for fighting, sparring, boxing, MMA, anything of that sort. She found surprising peace in, well, any kind of fighting. And she was actually good at it. Not only could she predict her opponent's move before they acted, she seemed to have a natural ability to fight. Kind of like it was programmed into her DNA. It just came naturally to her. She loved it.

She swung her right arm fully intending it to make contact with the punching bag but instead hitting air. She stumbled and saw Luc holding the bag looking rather concerned.

"What the heck Luc?!"

He gave her a once over. "Sorry I was just excited to see you seeing as you have been avoiding me for three weeks. Funny, never pegged you for a boxer."

She crossed her arms. "Not just boxing and it helps me vent. Besides, I haven't been avoiding you," I've been avoiding everyone, "I've just been really busy."

"Busy…recovering from your stay at the hospital by pushing yourself so hard you will end up back there? You're in a gym, the walls are literally mirrors, look at yourself, Sophie, and you look like crap."

She wiped away the sweat from her forehead and glanced at her reflection. He wasn't wrong. She was sopping wet in her sweat, and the circles under her eyes looked like bruises. But that didn't mean he had to point it out. "Yeah well, you know what Luc? I'm sweaty because I am working out and I'm working out so I will get over this insomnia. I'm handling a bad situation and I could do without your ever so helpful input."

Something's different with her. What do I do? I don't know how to help her; I don't even know how to talk to her right now. Sophie balled her fists as his voice flowed into her mind.

He held his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean it that way. I just meant that I'm worried about you. Here," He tossed her a towel and she took it gratefully. "Why don't you go get cleaned up and we can go see a movie or something?" He looked so hopeful she almost said yes. But then she heard his thoughts and remembered why she couldn't.

"You don't need to be worried about me. Okay? And I have to finish my work out. Sorry."

"I'm fine with waiting."

"It will be a long time."

"I'm sure I've waited longer."

They stood there for a while, both too stubborn to back down. So she found a way out. She took a few steps back. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Who wants to fight?! Only rule is no permanent damage?! Anybody?"

Sophie could feel Luc's worry and disapproval but she didn't care. She was done with people being worried about her. She wasn't some fragile flower, she could defend herself. She was tired of people smothering her and watching out for her. She stepped on the mats.

"Sophie are you sure this is a good idea-"

" I'll do it." She turned and saw the boy from the woods. Next to him stood a tall blonde boy about Luc's age with a wild edge to him. Keefe. Images swam through her head of him, of a fairytale world. She shook her head. These weird daydreams/hallucinations had been happening more and more often. Lately, she was having trouble figuring out if they were real or not. Don't be silly, you've never met him before. But that felt like a lie.

She shook her head. It didn't matter if she was going crazy, she didn't want it to look like she was going crazy. "Dex right? What are you doing here? Did you ever find Sophie?" She blushed at her embarrassing amount of questions. She mumbled an apology but he didn't seem to mind.

"Yep, same Dex. I just saw this gym and thought 'hey I have worked out in a while, why not?' and you were here. This is my friend Keefe. He's a bit of a flirt so be careful." She noticed he didn't answer about Sophie. Aw, maybe they haven't found her. She decided not to press.

"Hi, I'm Sophie." She held out her arm and they shook hands. "A much nicer meeting than ours, huh Dex?" He turned a deep shade of crimson.

"Sorry about that."

"Ah yes, the famous 'attack the wrong person'. I have heard this story many times. Though, it is nice to finally meet you Fos-Sophie. You seemed to make quite the impression." As Keefe spoke Sophie tried to place what it was that was different about them. Sure they were abnormally good looking, strangely friendly, the accents she couldn't place, and she kept having the flashes of what felt like memories. But none of this was what she was looking for. Something was just distinctly different. She thought back to what Fitz had said that night. She had written him off as crazy, but she had the same feeling around him that she did around Dex and Keefe… and she really was crazy. A crazy freak. Focus on the here and now.

She realized she was still holding Keefe's hand and promptly let go, but not before seeing him intently watching her, as though her heard what she had been thinking.

"So Dex, you want to fight?"

Keefe smirked. "No he doesn't. He's more of a tech guy, I however would love to." This should be good.

"I'm not sure this is the best idea." Luc interjected.

"Nobody cares Pretty Boy. Stop your worrying, I'm not gonna hurt her. If anything you should be worried about me."

Sophie checked to see if he was joking, but he wasn't. This stranger actually believed in her. It was refreshing. "Then let's go."

It started out slowly, just a few swings and blocks. But after a few minutes they started to get comfortable, not afraid to hit and they started playfully trash talking. Keefe came up behind Sophie and twisted her arm pulling her back against his chest. I should have heard him plan that I-I don't hear his thoughts! He leaned in a whispered in her ear, "You're sweating like a pig, sure you want to keep this up?" She frowned. She would not be beaten by Keefe.

She knew he had a tight grip on her torso so Sophie swung her legs up until she had his head between her legs and with all her power she flipped them. Keefe landed on his back with Sophie on top of him, her knee on his chest and his arms pinned down. "I may sweat like a pig but at least I don't look like one." They both laughed as she pulled him up.

"That…WAS FREAKING AWESOME! HOW DID YOU DO THAT! YOU JUST WENT AND CHANNELED BLACK WIDOW OR SOMETHING!"

She couldn't help but smile along; Keefe's enthusiasm was so infectious. Dex was just as excited saying how she had to teach him that. Sophie searched the room for her best friend, but Luc was no where to be seen.

She sighed and started to pack up, laughing along with Dex and Keefe, until out of the corner of her eye she saw Luc.

Across the street from the gym she saw an unconscious Luc being dragged into the alley by a tall man. He looked vaguely familiar as did the eye patch on his shirt sleeve. "Luc."

Sophie dropped everything and ran after the man. She could hear Keefe and Dex calling to her, telling her to stop, but she didn't. Luc was in trouble. He needed her. She felt warmth growing the back of her mind. She drew on it, used it to run faster than she ever had before.

But it wasn't fast enough.

Sophie followed the man into a dark alleyway far away from civilian eyes where she crashed to a stop as did her heart.

Luc's kidnapper stood before her with a blade pressed to Luc's neck, already drawing blood. On his hand she saw a crescent shaped scar, causing even more 'memories' or 'dreams' to surface.

"Hello Sophie. Lovely to finally see you. You've grown to be such a lovely young girl." A woman appeared in front of Sophie. She would have been the most beautiful person she had ever seen had it not been for the evil sneer. She was too perfect looking, cold and unapproachable.

The woman smiled and reached out to stroke Sophie's face. She tried to back up but she was cornered. "Who are you! Let Luc go! Let me go!"

"Tisk tisk tisk. See, Precious, I need you."

"Get away from her!" Keefe stood panting, holding a throwing star in front of him, dead serious. "I said. Get. Away. From. Her."

"How lovely, the whole family, together."

"Keefe? What's she talking about?" Sophie couldn't figure out if she was more confused or scared. But she had a feeling everything she knew was about to change.

Keefe glared daggers at the woman. "Sophie, this is Gisela, our mother." He spit out the word like it was acid on his tongue. Her whole world span. MOTHER? That's not possible. Her mother was Natalie Freeman. She just met Keefe…it-it couldn't be true.

Unless she was an elf and she just couldn't remember.

But she was remembering. All those flashes and unfamiliar thoughts. They were memories!

Just one problem. Why on earth was their mother trying to kill them?!

"I-I don't understand."

"It is a very long story, one I would be happy to tell you at home." Sophie almost wanted to trust her gentle smile, but then she saw Luc struggling and bleeding.

"Not a chance!" Sophie kicked out at Gisela and tried to run to Luc but she fell, losing control of her limbs.

"Fine, you want to do this the hard way, so be it." Sophie suddenly heard Gisela's voice filling her head, controlling her body. Sophie lifted her hand around her own neck and started to cut off her airway. "You think you are so powerful, but you, like everyone else, are powerless to stop me. Oh, don't think Keefe's or Dex are going to save you, they share your predicament." Gisela looked to the man holding Luc. "Do it."

"He started cutting deeper into Luc's neck. "Stop. Please. Just Stop." She was sobbing, gasping for breath as she chocked herself.

"Dearest, I would, but you need motivation. Incentive. Come to me by the end of the month, and your human friend here will live. If you truly care, you will find a way."

Sophie felt her hand loosen and saw Gisela turn to leave. "NO!" Keefe surprised everyone as he threw his last start straight at his mother's heart.

Everything happened in slow motion after that.

Sophie breathed in.

The star flew at Gisela.

A force field appeared in front of her.

The star deflected and flew back at Keefe twice as fast.

Keefe looked directly as Sophie as it landed in his heart.

She breathed out.

And she screamed. Sophie screamed his name as she ran to his side cradling his head.

Her hands shook as memories flooded back, like a dam had broken.

She remembered. She remembered everything.

She saw her tear falling onto Keefe's pale face.

He grabbed her had. His pale blue eyes captured hers, "Foster, don't ever let anyone tell you you're a freak, okay?" She could stop the flood of tears. "Now get out of here."

"No, no I won't-Keefe?! Keefe! Wake up! NO!" His hand went limp and his eyes stared vacantly ahead, devoid of any life.

For a minute Sophie couldn't tell if she was sobbing or as still as a statue. Then she was angry. Everything turned red. Blood. Red.

She felt rage she never knew was possible and it flooded out of her through Gisela's shield. The woman lay on the ground, a strange smile on her face. "Perfect." She whispered. Before Sophie could speak everyone but Sophie and Dex shimmered away.

She wiped a tear away and left a trail of Keefe's blood on her cheek. With that she collapsed sobbing like her world had crashed down around her.

Because it had. "Dex?" She chocked out.

"Sophie! Where are you?!"

"Over-over here!"

"Sophie's what's going-"

She tackled Dex and cried into his shoulder. "Please don't leave me."

He pulled her closer. "Never."

They stayed like that for a long, indiscernible time. When she could not longer cry but just clung to Dex she whispered in a voice not her own, "He's gone, Dex. Keefe's gone."