Sentry of the Arcane

Chapter 15: Sophie

(A/N: This is another MAJOR Sophitz shipping chapter. So enjoy and comment on your opinions! Feel free to leave ideas as well!)

My room key tucked safely in my back pocket, I exit sneakily into the hallway. I'm planning on knock on Fitz's door to ask him if he wanted to come with me to the laboratory. Even though I stand calmly in front of his door, my mind races with second thoughts, mentally wearing me out already. I ask myself two things: why am I so hesitant in knocking on his door? And why am I even asking him if he wants to come with me?

But before I can change my mind, Mr. Wallace's voice sounds behind me, "You know, he's not in his room right now."

I exhale sharply before turning around. Facing him, I say, "Do you know where he is?" I try to ask the question casually, as if I'm not wanting him to be there. As if..? I ask myself. Where did that come from?

Mr. Wallace only smirks at me. "He's at the laboratory," he says. "Woke up earlier than you. He found something out, and I think he'd like to tell you himself." When he smiles in a suspicious way, I furrow my eyebrows, but still follow him as he leads the way to the laboratory.

...

After what can only be a few minutes, I find myself standing alone in front of two large, silver doors. Mr. Wallace left me here only a few moments ago, and I curse him mentally for doing that. When I hesitate to knock on the door yet again, my inner frustration rings out when I knock on the door, loudly. I'm met with unnerving silence, and begin to ponder if Mr. Wallace was lying or not.

Luckily, before I can turn around, the door opens, and I'm met with a giddy Caroline. I smile weakly when she squeals, jumping forward to hug me. Quickly jumping back before I can respond, she screams, "Steven..! It's the other one!" She then flashes an overbearing grin at me.

At Caroline's yelling, a familiar voice shouts, "Oh God!"

I frown, then raise an eyebrow at Caroline. She only laughs sheepishly and says, "Oh, that's right! Steven and I aren't alone. Did I forget to say that?" Caroline then grabs my arm and drags me into the oh-so-familiar laboratory, carelessly closing the doors behind her.

Inside, I see Steven chuckling as Fitz bends down to pick up a fallen tablet. When I come within earshot, I can hear Fitz apologizing for additionally yelling. Of course he'd apologize, I think to myself as I watch Steven pat Fitz's shoulder with a broad smile. Fitz is always a gentleman. A rather handsome one, at that. When I replay my thoughts, my eyes widen at what I called him, and I quickly turn away, hoping my blush isn't that evident as I walk towards Caroline.

She only smiles at me, which makes me wonder more if my blush is showing. "Don't worry, dear," Caroline whispers in my ear when I stand in front of the microscope. "I only noticed your blush when you came closer. You two ought to be together, don't you think?" When she smiles sweetly at me, all I can do is flush more, staring down at the microscope until my blush actually dies down.

When it does, I take a deep breath and turn to the forensic chemist. "I wanted to talk to you about something. How much do you know about cells in humans?" I ask quickly.

She smiles at me. "Although I'm a chemist, I also have a bachelor's degree in biology." She lowers her voice into a whisper. "But don't remind Steven. He has a sour spot for being a one-trick pony." She then giggles, which causes me to let out a few laughs of my own.

Shaking my head to get back on topic, I continue. "I was wondering too much about the cyanide. If she swallowed it, then she'd have some cyanide left in her esophagus, or on her tongue." Caroline only nods, and I suppress the groan that almost came out. Nodding doesn't help. "And if she inhaled it, then it'd be in her respiratory system as well as in her nasal cavities. Isn't it weird that it was only found in her nervous system?"