Keefe could see that she was getting agitated, it didn't take an empath to know that. Her fidgeting along with the ever so random pluck of an eyelash should have been pointed enough to tell them that Sophie was uncomfortable. He also knew that they weren't seeing it. Her parents, the Black Swan, and the Council were all too filled with rage to see past their own anger to really see her discomfort. He knew that she was letting them yell without fighting back because she could tell they were too angry to be talked out of whatever they were saying, but he could also tell that it was starting to take its toll on her.

"How could you think for one second it would be okay to do something like this!" yelled councilor Alina. "You stupid little girl!"

He watched her flinch at that and his anger started to rise as well. If their friends and her parents hadn't been here he would have sat by her side and held her hand in support, but he had promised her he wouldn't tell anyone they were dating until after she had gone to the Neverseen. So instead he sat at the edge of the room with Fitz and Dex while they collectively watched Sophie get berated with the consequences of going behind their backs.

"Do you understand how many people you could have hurt! How many lives would have been lost because of you!" Alina's attacks continued, "Going against the Neverseen alone was by far one of the most immature and destructive things you've ever done!" Keefe's hands clenched.

"You've ruined almost every part of the plan that has taken years to execute!" yelled a puffed-up Forkle. "How could you think that would be a good idea."

He watched as Sophie's eyes went dark but she held her tongue. They were all gathered at Havenfield and Sophie sat in a chair in the dining room while the ever-present adults hovered around her.

"You could have died Sophie," whispered Edaline in a harsh whisper. "Why would you do something so dangerous alone!"

The room went silent for a moment as everyone focused on what Sophie's answer was going to be. When one never came that made Alina even angrier.

"You insolent girl, nothing is ever enough for you is it?" Alina hissed. "You couldn't just be a Moonlark, a regent, and an overpowered elf could you! You had to be the hero too, now look what you've done! The Neverseen probably knows all of our secrets, our plans, and our defenses because of your ego!"

Keefe suspected that Sophie knew then that the anger wasn't going to die down so he watched as she let out a heavy breath and stood up to her full height. She looked directly at Alina with narrowed eyes and proceeded to walk right past her. Before anyone could understand that she still wasn't going to answer, Sophie calmly walked into a teleportation hole and was gone in a flash.

Keefe wanted to clap at her elegant exit, Sophie had been practicing teleporting without needing to run, but he knew the rest of the room was still angry, if not angrier at Sophie now. He needed to find a way to sneak out without it being obvious he was going to her, how in the world could he do that!

"Does she think she can act this way towards the councilors! Towards her Parents!" Alina screeched. Though not all the other councilors were as angry as Alina, like Bronte and Oralie, he could still feel their hurt and confused feelings towards Sophie's behaviors.

"I don't understand how she could ruin all of our plans like this! At the drop of a hat, no warning. How could she put the world on the line like that?" Forkle wondered aloud.

Keefe knew why, of course, being the only one she told, but let the adults fester as Sophie had.

"You put too much trust into your experiment, and now the world has to pay the price," Alina replied in answer.

Or not, he decided.

"Can you all really not understand why she did it?" He asked, standing from his chair. "Because if you can't, then I guess you really are stuck inside your own heads like she said you'd be."

"What!" Grady yelled, "You knew about this! I swear I'm going to-"

"Oh will you all please calm down. It seems to me that you are all very focused on what Sophie's actions meant to you. Not what they meant to her or what she actually did. Have you checked on that by the way? Did you all fail to see the fact that she just pulled off the most brilliant heist of all time or are you still caught up in the whole she didn't listen to me boohoo phase?"

Keefe took a look around the room and stood up. "Sophie got you the cache. She literally went to the most guarded item and stole it from right under their noses. You know why she didn't go along with your plan?" he asked Forkle and the Council. "Because she knew people would get hurt, you guys all seem to forget that in your original plan there was little to no protection for the people who were going to have to fight off the guards as you went inside. Her plan was better but you all didn't want to admit it because it meant she was stronger than you thought she was. So maybe start taking some responsibility for making her this way instead of insisting she's too fragile to do her job as your Moonlark."

He could feel their anger fading but decided that if he was going to get himself in trouble with Sophie by showing them he knew her plan, he might as well get everything out. "You know why she didn't tell you or why she didn't respond to you today? She is starting to give up on you, and that out of everything you learned today should be what you are the most scared of. You lost her trust, so when you yell at her for doing what she knows is right, she has no need to feel responsible for your anger. It is no longer her job to comfort you when you feel angry. It is not her job to make you feel comfortable about the situation you put her in. You all should have seen this coming, and don't you dare call her stupid for sparing the lives you were okay with losing. You don't know her anymore!"

Fitz gave him a glare. Keefe knew Fitz's anger stemmed more from not knowing what was happening with Sophie than with Keefe's words. "And you do Keefe? How could you know her better than her friends that have always been by her side while you were locked up in your tower?"

"BECAUSE I LOVE HER!" He yelled. "Because she knew you would all pull her away from me if you knew about us. Because I have been by her side through every decision and I have comforted every tear you put on her face. Because I stood by her decision after she made sure it was the right one. Because even now, in her time of need, while I stand here as the only one defending her, I know I should already be by her side so she knows she has someone to lean on."

His eyes were starting to blur so he turned towards Edaline, "You can't be mad that you raised her to be independent and that is who she turned out to be. She did the right thing, you all need to realize that pretty quickly before you lose her forever. Because next time. Next time, I'm walking right out that door with her and you don't get an explanation."

He grabbed his light crystal and attached it to his lightleaper. "And she's not your Moonlark, she's the Moonlark."

He looked around and found Sophie in her room as he had suspected. She gave him a serious look before her eyes filled up with tears and she walked over to him. Keefe met her halfway and wrapped his arms around her, eyes still blurred from his emotional confrontation.

"You heard everything?" he murmured in her ear, slowly brushing his fingers through her hair.

She nodded and pulled back to face him. "How is it that you're the only one who understands my decisions?"

He could feel her pain from Alina's earlier remarks still lingering.

"Well, most of them haven't been put in these kinds of situations before. They can see and plan for all the fighting in the world but it will never equal actually being in the fight. They're doing their best and one day, they will understand."

She nodded and most of the pain and anger subsided into exhaustion, "I know everyone knows about us now but," she gave him a look that told him they would talk about that later, "can we stay at your place tonight? I don't really feel up to company."

He gave her a small smirk and kissed her, "Of course we can baby. Crystal or Tele?"

She gave him a grin and opened up a portal.

"Wow!" Keefe gave her an astonished look. "You are getting so good at that!"

They stepped through and found themselves in the familiar surroundings of Keefe's room. Sophie went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and Keefe double-checked the door was locked against unwanted visitors, which was everybody. He took off his shirt and climbed into the bed as he watched Sophie open a door and take out her pajamas.

She sighed pleasantly and climbed in after Keefe.

Curled beside him with his arm around her she murmured, "Thank you for what you said today."

"I know it was a little out of line, and for that I am sorry," he whispered against the top of her head.

"Well, parts of it yes. I know that you know I can stand up for myself, but it doesn't hurt to have some backup."

"I'm always here for you Foster."

"I'm always here for you Sencen."

"Goodnight my love."

"Goodnight Keefe."