Wasn't that a good cliffhanger last chapter? I tried at least ;p
To ForeverFreeFall: Tbh I honestly don't know who to ship! Sophie would look good with either of them! And I really like Fitz and Keefe, but if I had to say, I probs like Keefe with Sophie more than Fitz. Just cuz I like Keefe's character more. The one reason I put Keefe together with Jewel in this fanfic was cuz I thought having Keefe as one of the main characters would be fun to write as and add more playfulness to the story. But for some reason I feel that Shannon Messanger would put Fitz and Sophie together since usually, the main character ends up with the first boy that she meets in one of these "oh I discovered I actually have special powers and bla bla" stories and also Sophie always felt her heart flutter when she's with Fitz so yeah… but I think it would be extremely cute if Sophie ended up with Keefe!
Anyways enjoy this chapter and I'm actually going to start another fanfic soon so check it out when you get the chance to! Also R&R plz! :) Oh and I had a bit trouble writing this chapter so it might be poorly written than the others.
Chapter 10- Keefe's POV
Keefe stared back and forth between Jewel and the blonde boy with hazel green eyes. The two of them seemed to be in their own world. The boy's face reflected all of his emotions, so clearly he didn't believe what he was seeing.
"Are you real?" The boy, who Keefe assumed was Jewel's brother, asked in daze. Jewel opened her mouth to reply but no sounds came out. The air filled with tension and poor Keefe was stuck between it. He sighed and brushed his hand through his golden hair. Long lost siblings finally reunited, Keefe thought sarcastically in his head. Keefe didn't like the idea that the boy was gaping at Jewel for so long. Even though Keefe knew the boy was her brother, it wasn't like they were blood related. The boy backed away slowly and shook his head in disbelief.
"I'm hallucinating right? Or…" Terror filled the blonde boy's face. "I'm not dead am I? I don't remember dying!" Keefe stared at Jewel's brother in complete astonishment. Either the boy was a complete idiot or he was just really high. Suddenly, a burst of giggles escaped Jewel's mouth. The two boys looked at her in surprise. She laughed so hard, tears brimmed against her sparkling purple eyes.
"That's what you say after finally meeting me again?" Jewel asked in chokes of laughter. She waved her hand up, motioning them to give her a minute to recollect herself. After she finished, she looked straight in the boy's eyes and smiled.
"Hi, Jake." She said. "It's been a long time." Keefe and Jake stood unmoving, still surprised by her unexpected reaction. After a moment, Jake whipped around and paced back and forth.
"I get it, I'm probably just dreaming. Though the heck is that guy? Never met him in my life. Did my mind just make him up? This is too unreal." Jake muttered to himself. Keefe rolled his eyes in annoyance and walked up to the boy. Keefe quickly pinched Jake's arm.
"Ow!" Jake exclaimed. Keefe smirked and folded his arms.
"If that hurt then you know you're not dreaming." Keefe said. Jake faced him and frowned.
"Then who are you?" He asked, cautious. His eyes moved widely and crazed as he glanced back at Jewel. "And you're supposed to be dead! Seriously, my mind can't take any more of this." And Keefe knew that the boy was exploding with confusion and fear. He seemed so disturbed that even Keefe's mood was starting to switch. Keefe held his hand up in front of the boy.
"Okay please calm down first. Your emotions are too contagious." Keefe said, looking away from Jake. Jake's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Keefe.
"Sorry… what?" Jake asked, hysterical. Jewel quickly stepped in between them and stood in front of Keefe as if she was shielding him. Keefe partially felt happy but then again, it wasn't like a human boy could do much harm. Jewel carefully approached her brother with her hands out in front, as if to contain a wild animal.
"Jake please believe us. I promise I will explain everything and clear this up. Just please, give us a chance to explain." Jewel begged, her voice shaky. Jake looked at her then back to Keefe. He felt very uncertain and unreal. But he nodded and scratched his head.
"Yeah could you just give me a moment?" Jake said, turning away. Jewel reached for Keefe's hand and led him to a nearby couch. Her little palm was shaking and Keefe wish he could comfort her. Like how do you react when you accidentally re-meet your brother, who saw you get kidnapped, after 3 years of being missing? As they waited, he looked around the petite apartment. The walls were a pale yellow, making the room have a warm aura. Multiple kid drawings and framed artwork were hanging on the wall, making the room seem less vacant. There were few furniture but a wooden table sat in the middle of the room. The place really seemed cozy. It was a bit too small for Keefe's taste but he felt comfortable in it. He still couldn't believe that Jewel used to live here when she was younger. He wondered how it was like to live with humans.
Keefe turned his head to face Jewel when he noticed her anxiety increase. He glanced around and saw her brother returning with a few mugs and snacks. Keefe squeezed Jewel's hand slightly, letting her know he was there with her. She gave him an appreciated smile and opened her mouth to speak.
"Thanks…" Jewel said. Jake nodded and sat down in a seat across from them. The air between them became awkward and nobody knew what to say.
"So can you please explain how you're still alive and why should I believe you? Because this is really freaking me out." Jake questioned, breaking the silence. Jewel looked down at her shoes, feeling guilty.
"I'm sorry. This probably is making you feel really scared. But I am real." Jewel apologized. "They didn't kill me when I was kidnapped. They needed me for something… remember when I told you about my telepathic powers?" Jake slowly nodded at this.
"Well, more powers developed and they wanted to use me against….." Jewel paused, unsure about how to explain the Elvin part. She gave a heavy sigh and gave Keefe an apologetic expression. Uh oh, Keefe thought. She was about to break the number one rule in the Elvin world. "I'm an Elf." Jewel confessed. Jake stared at her for what seemed like eternally, then gave off a nervous laugh.
"Okay, I'm sorry, but I can't take this anymore." Jake put his head in his hands. "Please leave." Jewel stared at him, feeling anxious and betrayed.
"No Jake, please understand this! You always knew I was special! That I was different!" Jewel begged. Tears streamed down her cheeks like two rivers. Jake just shook his head, still not looking at them. Keefe became furious, which was rare for him. Why can't he just believe her? Why is that so difficult? He grabbed Jake by his shoulders and forced him to look at Jewel.
"At least look at her! She's your sister! Don't you love her?!" Keefe exclaimed, gathering all his guilt and regret he had about his mom. Jake trembled in his grasp.
"I— I just…" Jake looked down at his feet. He was breathing so hard and tears were threatening to leave his eyes. "You were gone! If you were still alive, why didn't you come find us?! Mom and I were alone! We lost dad, and then you! It was all just too much! We were suffering alone!" Jake cried, getting out all the frustration and loneliness he saved up. He fell to his knees, sobbing. Jewel stared at her brother, her eyes filled with tears. The whole scene was too depressing to Keefe. He looked solemnly at the two siblings. If only he could've told his mom all the words he wanted to say, maybe he'd feel resolved. He didn't ever want to hate his mom and he wish the patch between them could be fixed, but now it was too late for him. But Jewel and Jake could definitely get through to each other.
Keefe gently pushed Jewel forward to her brother. She clenched her hands, a sob escaping her mouth. Then she leaned down to hug her brother. They cried together, letting out all their bottled up feelings go. Jewel hiccuped and tried to dry her tears.
"I'm—hiccup—sorry. I didn't— hiccup—leave you guys. I didn't – hiccup—have a choice! You weren't suffering alone!" Jewel cried. She looked her brother in the eye. "I was there too! I was there—suffering with you!" More tears slipped down her cheeks as she sat their constantly wiping them away. Looking at the way she broke down made Keefe want to cry as well.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I'm sorry." Jake repeated, still sobbing. "I'm so sorry." Jewel managed a sad smile.
"I'm sorry too. But," Jewel paused. "I'm still with you. Wherever I am. And no matter what, I will always love you." Jewel whispered, softly. Keefe watched from afar, the corner of his mouth turning into a smirk. A single tear fell from his eyes as he looked up, finally feeling resolved. No matter what mom, I still love you, Keefe thought. Before, he felt obliged to hate his mom, but he knew that deep inside, he never did. He just wish that his mom knew that.
After they finally calmed down, Jake agreed to listen this time and would try to accept it. Jewel snuggled up next to Keefe, wanting someone to just support her quietly. She changed into an oversize sweater and jean shorts due to her other shirt being covered in tears and snot. She fingered her mug with one hand while she held it up with the other. She looked adorable since her hands were half hidden from the long sleeves. She sniffled and glanced at Jake before glancing back at Keefe for reassurance. He nodded slightly to her and held her hand. Jake noticed their hands and smiled devilishly.
"No way. Jewel you found a boyfriend, didn't you?" He teased, despite the fact that he'd been sobbing on the ground just a few minutes ago. Jewel's face immediately reddened as she pulled her hand away, which left Keefe already missing the warmth of her hand.
"N—no! He's not my boyfriend!" Jewel squeaked. It was kind of amusing to tease Jewel. She always reacted so innocently. Keefe shared a mischievous look with Jake and decided to join in.
"But I thought, after everything we've been through, that you'd fall in love with me." Keefe said batting his eyelashes. Jewel glared at him, still blushing.
"How far have you two gotten?" Jake asked, jokingly.
"Oh I received a sweet kiss just before we came here!" Keefe teased. Jewel's face turned an even darker red before she smacked Keefe on the arm. It stung a bit, but he wasn't about to admit that.
"That was just a kiss of the cheek! It was for a thank you, nothing else!" Jewel exclaimed, embarrassed. "Geez!" She covered her face with her hands. Jake and Keefe shared a laugh. When Jake wasn't freaking out about his supposed-to-be-dead sister, he seemed pretty cool and chill. Keefe had a feeling that they'd be good friends. That is, if he could still remember them. Keefe knew that it was a huge problem to allow humans discover their existence and it would be so heartbreaking for Jake to forget Jewel. Jewel must have thought the same because her face suddenly turned serious again.
"Jake, you have to promise me this. You can't let anybody know that you ever saw us, or that we came back." Jewel said.
"But mom, she'd be so happy to—" Jake started, before being cut off by Jewel.
"No Jake. You can't tell anybody. It will lead to very severe consequences. Like you might even forget my whole existence." Jewel said.
"What? I could never forget you!" Jake exclaimed. Jewel gave him a sad smile before continuing.
"It's not your choice to make. I just broke the number one Elvin rule. Humans shouldn't know about our existence. Not even family, because, we aren't even… blood related." Jewel confessed. Jake's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What? How?" He asked, highly disturbed. Jewel told him about Project Moonlark and the Elvin ways. She took in a deep breath before explaining everything that happened to her. All the way from when she first got kidnapped, then to having a glitch, to meeting Sophie and the others, and to now. Jake took it in silently. He held his hands in his lap and breathed in, wondering what to think. Before he could process all the information, Jewel spoke.
"I know it's hard to take in but I need you to understand for now. We don't have much time so I need you to recall everything you remember that day I got kidnapped." Jewel instructed. Jake nodded and thought for a minute.
"Well, I remember a lot of men in black cloaks chasing after you when we were playing in that park one day. Mom let us play outside by ourselves since she was too busy with work. And the park was so nearby, it didn't seem like a big deal." Jake recalled. Keefe choked down a scoff. They had a responsible mother, he thought sarcastically. But then again, his mom wasn't the best at parenting either.
"We were playing with a ball and you kicked it somewhere far so I went to chase after it. When I got back, I heard you scream and ran after you. That's when I saw you being cornered by them. And so obviously, being the good brother that I am, I decided to take a stick and slap them silly. Though they pointed something at me and you were held down by some guy. And right when he was about to pull the trigger, the man who held you suddenly started screaming and he grabbed his head as if it hurt a lot. But you didn't move a muscle so it was really weird, like you did it with your head or something." Jewel's eyes widened at she and Keefe shared a look. Inflicting, it must be, Keefe thought. But, now, they already know she could do that, so it must have been when she first manifested that ability.
"Then the man pulled the trigger and something came shooting at me, but you somehow pushed me away and got hit yourself…" Jake continued, somberly. "And then you collapsed, right in front of me, like you were dead. You didn't move at all. It really scared me. I didn't know what to do. And then someone grabbed me from behind and they took you away." A silence followed as he finished. Jewel seemed disappointed on not discovering anything new. What did they even come here for?
"It that all?" Jewel pressed. Jake squeezed his eyes shut as he thought harder.
"That man… that was pinning you down… after he cried in pain, he kind of just slumped down and acted all dumb… I don't really know how to describe it but I heard one of the other guys say that his mind was broken or something." Jake recalled. Keefe couldn't believe his ears.
"What?" He exchanged a worried look with Jewel. "How is that possible?" He asked her. Jewel shrugged and muttered to herself.
"It must have something to do with my inflicting." Keefe concentrated on the wooden table in front of him. That wasn't possible, he thought. No one has ever heard of a person losing their sanity after being inflicted. He pondered on this when something caught his eye.
"Wait. What's that?" He asked, pointing at a small envelope rested on the table. Jake turned around and saw what he was pointing to.
"Oh that. I'm not really sure what it says… It's kind of confusing. I thought it was a prank mail or something." Jake explained. Keefe went up to look at it and immediately recognized the Swan symbol.
"That's it! That's what we've been looking for!" He exclaimed. Jewel got up quickly to see what he was talking about. Keefe picked up the note and started to read out loud.
"'The answer you seek, is in between a peek. Stuck in forests and trees, a stone room sits beneath water running free.'" Keefe read out loud. He shook his head in confusion. "This makes no sense." Jewel sat there, frozen. She seemed to be thinking hard about it, like it sounded familiar. Then her face lit up.
"I got it! I know where we're going!" She exclaimed, jumping up. Suddenly, a loud crash sounded from outside. Jewel glanced out the window and gasped. She turned to Keefe.
"We got to go!" She yelled.
"What? Why?" Keefe asked, confused. She ignored him and hurriedly opened the window which led to a small balcony. Jake stood up alert, looking at where Jewel was.
"They're back!" He whispered, alarmed. Keefe followed their gaze and saw two Neverseen men walking towards the apartment building. Keefe's icy blue eyes widened.
"Oh crap." He said. Jewel hurried out the window, onto the little ledge. Jake gasped.
"Jewel, what are you doing!?" He whispered, loudly. Jewel glanced back at him and mustered a small smile as Keefe followed her lead.
"I'll come back for you. Wait for me. And don't forget your promise." She said before she face forward. She grabbed Keefe's hand and looked at him.
"Ready?" She asked, barely audible in the whipping wind. Keefe nodded.
"Yeah, let's just get this over with." He shouted back. And with a final look back, they jumped into the crack opening in the air. The last thing Keefe heard was Jake's voice calling out for them.