Keeper of The Lost Cities Fanfic: Elysian

Chapter 38

The first to visit were Dex, Fitz, and Biana. They sat with Sophie and Keefe for a few hours, talking about how they'd been sent to track down Ruy. Apparently, Ruy had found the tracker, and destroyed it, so Dex was making a new invention, but he didn't know what it would do yet. Meanwhile, Fitz was trying to track him down by pinpointing his thoughts, like Sophie had done in Tackle Bramble. He said he was getting closer every day, but other than that, no luck. And Biana was listening for rumors about places he'd been seen, so she could take a small team and look. "Nothing so far, though, but we're trying!" She added. Sophie looked at Fitz, who seemed to be staring at her, but it wasn't with anger. Was that...guilt? "I think that's it from us." Dex said as they turned to leave. She was about to let Fitz go, but she remembered their argument when she'd told his family about Alvar. "Wait." She said, looking at the floor. "I want to say something to Fitz, if he'll let me." Fitz stood there for a minute, his back to her, and turned around when Biana and Dex walked out. "Yeah, Sophie?" She dived in head-first. "I just wanted to say, I'm... sorry for earlier. There was a lot going on–I had a disagreement with Grady, and, um...let's just say we weren't on the same page." Fitz nudged the toe of his boot, like he did when he was nervous. "No, it's ok. I think...I needed to hear those words. I'm the one who should be sorry. And I am, but..." Suddenly, his eyes got watery. "I...miss him, but I don't know why. He was nothing but a traitor, and–" Sophie laid a hand on his shoulder. "Fitz, Alvar was your brother. No matter what he did, you're gonna miss him." Fitz stared at the floor. He was silent for a while before saying, so quietly, she almost couldn't hear him, "He's dead...because of me. I didn't try to stop the chemicals from flowing in..." "Fitz, it's not your fault. Don't feel guilty for it. You saw what it did to Alden." Sophie said. The tears rolled down his cheeks, and he closed his eyes, as if he could escape reality. She pulled him into a hug, and in a minute, Keefe wrapped his good arm around them. She didn't know how long they stood like that before he pulled away. "I...need time to think." Then, he walked out the door, knowing well Sophie couldn't follow him.

Chapter 39

The last group of people to visit were Grady, Edaline, and... "Dad?" Keefe asked, without emotion. Lord Cassius slicked his hair back. "I do care, you know." "Yeah, right." Keefe mumbled, staring at his scarred and burnt arm. "You really showed your love." His voice was bitter and hard, full of sarcasm. His father didn't answer him. Instead, he said, "I need to talk to you when they leave." And waited outside the door. Sophie gave Keefe's hand a squeeze, but he didn't look at her. She decided to talk to him after his father left as she turned to her parents, Grady and Edaline. Edaline was smiling, then wrapped the both of them in a hug, and stepped back. But Grady didn't hug her. She stared at her hand, holding Keefe's, trying to think of what to say. "Grady, I...I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to compare you to–" He held up his hand. "Sophie, it's ok. You were just caught in your anger. I get it. I'm just glad you're with us right now." He laid a hand on her shoulder and nodded. "But we're talking once you're off bedrest." Sophie groaned and threw her blanket over her head, earning giggles and laughs from everyone. But she came out when Grady said, "And Keefe...I'm sorry for acting the way I did. I just don't want to see my daughter hurt again. But you've proved, enough times, that you don't want to. I'm glad she has you." Keefe still stared at his arm. "It's ok. I mean, I ran off with the Neverseen, so I don't blame you for it, sir." No one knew what to say after that. "Oh!" Edaline exclaimed, reaching into her pocket. "I forgot. There's one guy who wants to see you." She pulled a furry, small Imp from her pocket, and he flew around her and Keefe. "Iggy! You little brat!" She rubbed his nose, filling the room with his squeaky purr, and let him fly to Keefe's head. "Hey–I already did my hair!" That earned a laugh from everyone in the room.

Chapter 40

Lord Cassius came in once Grady and Edaline walked out, shooed away by Elwin. Sophie squeezed Keefe's hand to let him know she was there if he needed her. Lord Cassius sat in the cot on his son's side, and touched Keefe's bad arm gingerly, but he pulled it back, wincing as he did. His father sighed. "Keefe, I know I haven't been a good father–" "Oh, so now, you see it." Keefe snapped, swinging his leg over the bed. His father took a deep breath. "Please, just listen." After a while, Keefe sat back. "Thank you. Like I was saying, I know I haven't been the best father, but..." He looked at Sophie, and she nodded, edging him on. "I can do better, if you give me a chance. I do love you, Keefe, it's just...hard to show it." "Why?" Keefe asked. "Because I'm not what you want me to be?" He faced Sophie instead, staring at the wall behind her. He had tears in his eyes, too, like he'd just lost his pet dog he'd had since he was little. Then she realized. He basically had. His mother had treated him like he wasn't even an elf, not caring about his interests, or feelings, though she had pretended to when he was little. But his father hadn't cared about his feelings all his life. He didn't bother to do anything about Keefe. But he could, if Keefe gave him a second chance. "Keefe." She pulled him into a hug. "If you give him a second chance, he could be the greatest father. It could give you two the relationship–" "Why should I give him another chance? He's already had more than enough to prove he loves me! But he hasn't." Sophie pulled back, gently tracing the scars on his arm, and said, "You should give him another chance because I've...seen that side of him. He loves you, Keefe, he really does. But it's buried deep, because of how many times Lady Gisela washed his mind, and he doesn't know how to dig it up." Then, she cupped his cheek, brushing a tear away. "But maybe, you can help him dig it up. Please?" He didn't answer her. "Keefe, listen to her. No one wants to see you go numb." Keefe stood, made his way to the door, and opened it. "Keefe!" Sophie threw her blanket back, and tried to stand, but she fell because her knees were weak. She stood again, this time keeping her balance, and followed him, despite Elwin's protests.