KOTLC After Stellarlune-A Sokeefe Story

Vacker Wedding

The day of Fitz and Linh's wedding had finally arrived.

They had waited until the last minute to pick up their match lists. Fitz had tried to talk Linh out of it--he told Sophie and Keefe that he was afraid that if they wound up matched she'd always wonder if that was the only reason he went through with the wedding.

But Linh had insisted. Not because she was uncertain, but because she wanted to prove that registering was a choice--and so was following the advice of any lists a person picked up.

So their compromise was that they would each only pick up one list, and if they weren't matched on that list, then they would accept being branded a bad match rather than picking up the other four lists.

But they both found each other's names very high up on their lists.

So they were entering the marriage knowing that they would be considered a good match--but each thoroughly convinced of the other's commitment to be together even if they hadn't been.

Sophie knew Fitz well enough to know that he meant what he said when he declared he'd risk being a bad match in order to be with Linh--but that he was also a bit relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with it.

The wedding took place at Everglen, mere days after Sophie and Keefe's second anniversary. Fitz looking incredibly handsome in his finely tailored pants and fitted jerkin, and Linh somehow looking gorgeous, soft and fierce all at the same time in a flowing white gown with a teal sash.

Something about the way the gown moved as Linh walked almost looked like the ripple of waves in the water.

And something about the way Keefe looked as he stood beside his best friend made Sophie's heart swell so much she thought it might burst. But, that could also be pregnancy hormones influencing her.

Keefe had been having a lot of fun enduring Sophie's mood swings alongside her. And he always knew when to tease, when to comfort, and when to pretend he didn't notice it at all.

As she watched her friends get married, Sophie couldn't help but shed a few tears. She reminisced on her complicated history with Fitz, and how each moment had been leading them up to this one--they had each found their person, the one to whom they belonged. Their relationship as Cognates and friends was perfectly balanced.

Keefe caught her eye and raised one eyebrow at her, indicating he could feel her emotions swelling from where he stood. She rolled her eyes in response, but he just winked at her and focused his attention back on Fitz, Linh, and Councillor Terik.

And the moment he caught up with her in Everglen's reception hall, he pulled her in as close as possible (which was not that close, given the size of her full-term-pregnant belly) and kissed her before going up to give his speech.

And of course, he told one joke after another as he relayed what it was like growing up best friends with Wonderboy, and praised Linh for defying all odds and helping save the world many times over thanks to her incredible control over a very volatile ability. Then he had everyone raise a glass to Wonderboy and the Girl of Many Floods--a nickname she could now bear with amusement rather than embarrassment.

Sophie spent much of Keefe's speech teetering between laughing and rolling her eyes. But then...that was a pretty good description of what life was like being married to that ridiculously good-looking goofball.

And she loved every minute of it.

The moment she could, she rushed to give Fitz and Linh hugs--side hugs, thanks to the size of her belly--and congratulate them.

Many couples were dancing by this point. Sophie had opted not to dance, using her pregnancy as an excuse, but Keefe was trying to dance around her anyway. He kept wiggling his hips exuberantly--in a manner which did not match the music--solely because he knew it was making her laugh.

"Keefe, you look like a fish out of water," Dex told him, eyeing him as though he were almost afraid he'd actually get hit by a flailing limb if he came too close.

Then again, he probably was.

"Okay, but like...a sexy fish, right?" Keefe asked, finally plopping down in a chair next to Sophie. And the truth was, he did manage to look good no matter what he was doing. And he knew it. He winked at Sophie with a smirk on his face.

Dex merely rolled his eyes as he and Biana sat down next to them.

"And to think there was once I time I liked him," Biana whispered to Dex with a giggle. And whatever Dex whispered back to her--quiet enough that only she could hear--had her looking at him like she wanted to whisk him away back home right that moment.

"Hey now," Keefe cut in. "No making married people jokes unless you say them as loudly as possible so you can embarrass everyone around you!"

But Biana just shook her head. "We have something more important to tell you," she said quietly, looking at Dex. "But we're keeping it quiet for now."

Dex grinned at her before looking over first at Keefe, then fixing his eyes on Sophie and saying "Biana's pregnant."

Sophie couldn't help but squeal from excitement, but managed to keep her voice low as she said "congratulations!" and reaching out to hug them both.

"Wow," Keefe laughed, fanning the air around his face. "First off: congratulations! But second...wow pregnancy makes Foster's emotions even more intense than usual." He smirked at her. "You're definitely very happy for your friends," he teased her. But then he looked back to Dex. "But why are you keeping it quiet?"

"We don't want to steal Fitz and Linh's thunder," Biana told them. "This is their day. We'll tell them before they leave, and we'll tell our families tomorrow."

"And once Lex and Bex know, the whole world will know," Dex said with a laugh.

But the pain that came with Rex not being included in that was evident on his face. Being Talentless had changed Rex. He had come to terms with it, but his relationship was his triplet siblings had been forever altered. They didn't mistreat him--far from it--but he still felt separated from them. This had actually caused him to draw closer to Dex, who had been an incredibly good big brother. And slowly, Rex was starting to act more and more like Kesler--not letting his Talentless status keep him from holding his head up high.

But still...it was a burden Dex wished his little brother didn't have to bear.

Sophie reached out and took Dex's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I love you both," she whispered, looking back and forth between him and Biana.

"And our little boy?" Biana asked.

Sophie grinned. "And your little boy!"

"Oooh, what are you going to name him? Tex? Fex?" Keefe asked enthusiastically.

"Definitely not," Biana said. "We haven't decided yet, but definitely neither of those."

They sat there quietly discussing names, but Sophie brought both hands to her belly, thinking hard.

"Foster?" Keefe whispered. "What's going on with your emotions?"

She grinned up at him. "I think it's baby time."