Fitz was right, a run always cleared his head and luckily Master Cadence was distracted and quickly let him outside with the instructions she would let him back into the towers in 28 minutes. It was an unusual amount of time but he was going to take it! Being able to get out of the tower and get the blood flowing was the perfect cure for his emotional funk he had been in earlier. So things hadn't gone the way he wanted earlier with Sophie, what was most important was she had a nice day he played over in his head. As he lay in bed that night he pulled Ella close, took a deep breath of the lingering panakes blossoms and smiled. Tomorrow he would transmit to her first thing and hopefully they could try to mind loop.

The next day Fitz woke up to knocking on his door. He was shocked to see a delivery of two scrolls being handed to him. After a quick examination he saw one was from the council and one was from Magnate Leto. A wave of nervous energy pulsed through him, he hoped the scroll from Magnate Leto would be an invitation to a telepathy session but what would the council want?

His suspicion about a telepathy session was correct, he was being invited to Sophie's telepathy session the next week during his universe session with an emphasis on probing and keeping. A huge grin spread across his face. He would finally get to see Sophie again! He could hardly contain the excitement and anticipation and contemplated reaching out to tell Sophie right than but his curiosity for what the council was sending him held him back. If there was exciting news there as well he might as well share both with her.

When he opened the scroll and read it the smile fell from his face. The council was requesting him to accompany several emissaries to visit Gildingham and observe the Goblin capital. This was a first for the Elite levels and his acceptance should be returned quickly so to make all the necessary preparations. Normally this would be super exciting and he would not hesitate to reply with an irrepressible yes but the scheduled trip was to take place the following weekend, starting Friday and returning Sunday evening. This was the same time his invitation to join Sophie's session. Fitz grumbled something under his breath.

“Wow! Maybe I have been a bad influence on you. I didn't think I would ever hear those words coming out of your mouth.” Keefe said from the doorway.

Fitz shot Keefe a look.

“Relax, I'm just here to see if you want to head to breakfast together.” Keefe answered back before noticing the scrolls next to Fitz. Concern swept Keefe's face. “Is everything ok?”

“Yes I'm just. . .” Fitz paused, he wasn't sure how he felt right now. He was elated at both opportunities, but torn as to which would be best to accept. His head told him do what the council wants, Sophie would understand. His heart told him he had to see Sophie and that there will be more opportunities to work with the council. The only way to finish his thought was to answer with “conflicted.”

Fitz explained the scrolls and was shocked when Keefe didn't hesitate to tell him what he should do.

“Really? You are the last person I thought would give me that advice.” Fitz replied now confused at his options even more.

Keefe was just as shocked that he had told Fitz to go on the trip, but he couldn't forget the letter he had found from Sophie and the weird behavior Fitz had told her about. If Sophie really was no longer interested in Fitz it would just make him more upset that he had chosen her rather than this amazing opportunity. If Sophie was still as crazy about Fitz than she would want him to go as well. Really the only option that made sense was to go on the trip and figure things out with Sophie later.

“On the other hand maybe you should ask Sophie about it?” Keefe offered up. “Then you would at least get her input.”

“That's a good idea.” Fitz replied.

“Of course it's a good idea, because I thought of it.” Keefe answered with a smirk. “But before you get lost in Fosterville can we eat? Your Ripplefluffs last night were good but I am really craving some brattails.”

Fitz shot Keefe a confused look, his parents didn't send Ripplefluffs.

Later that day Fitz decided Keefe was right and he just needed to reach out and talk to Sophie about the decision he had to make. He knew that the longer he made the council wait for his acceptance of their offer the less likely they would extend the offer again. Sure when they had to make a decision on anything it could take weeks for them to come up with an answer but if you didn't respond immediately it was never good.

“Sophie, can we talk?” Fitz said telepathically after tracking her.

“Sure Fitz, I could use a break.”

Fitz could sense her mentally clearing her mind and noticed a hodgepodge of thoughts get filled away. Some like the bakery his parents sent treats from and matchmaking papers confused him but he tried to focus on what he was going to say.

“I'm ready, what did you want to talk about?”

“Well I got a couple scrolls today, I wanted to talk to you about.” Sophie could sense a hesitation in his thoughts she had never felt before.

“I have been invited by the council to travel with a group of emissaries to Gildingham for a weekend.”

“Fitz, Gildingham is amazing! I know you will love it, do they do that a lot for the elite levels?”

“No, I have never heard of anything like this happening before. Most elves never get invited to go to the other species cities.”

“Wow, the council must be really impressed with you and your presentation you gave.”

“You remembered I had a presentation?”

“Of course! I know I have been distracted a lot lately. It is just really hard not being with you. I cuddle with Mr. Snuggles since he smells like you, which thank you for the surprise cologne, I don't know how you did it but it made me so happy. Anyway it is just hard being apart and all the studying and tutoring Rina and helping at Havenfield and just everything. It just is hard.”

“I get it. It is hard for me too. But the midterm break will be here before you know it, then we will see each other for sure. Everyday, I promise.”

“I know, I'm just surprised we haven't had a telepathy session together. I especially thought after my session with Quinlan”

“When did you meet with Quinlan?”

Fitz could see memories racing through Sophie's head and it hurt his brain to try and keep up and sort what she was thinking. He definitely got a glimpse of the matchmaker office, Ella in his room and the feeling of trust issues, but couldn't piece it all together.

“Sophie, what is going on? What aren't you telling me?”

“Why don't you trust me?”

The thought was so faint and wispy, he wasn't even sure if she thought it or not. He could only think to himself questioning I don't trust you.

Then he heard it loud.

“Fitz, why don't you trust me? I don't understand, when we are together everything feels so right, I don't know what else to do.”

“I do trust you Sophie, I trust you with everything. You are the one who didn’t tell me about Quinlan.”

He could immediately feel a shift in Sophie's mood. The walls he felt coming down were back in place and for a few seconds her mind was so quiet he feared she had blocked him.

“Were you even going to tell me you had been invited to my next telepathy session on keeping and probing? Did you even think about us or was it always going to be going on your special trip?”

Wow, that mood shift was harsh and not the direction he thought this conversation was going to go.

“I did think about us, it's all I ever think about. I wish you could have seen my face this morning when I first read the scroll inviting me to finally have a telepathy session. Then I read the scroll from the council and I was crushed. If I could be two places at once I would do it in a heartbeat but I can't. I was hoping you would help me choose.”

Fitz could sense Sophie's mood shifting again, calming down again.

“You would really pass up going to Gildingham to have a session with me?”

“I would pass up pretty much everything to get to see you right now.”

Sophie was silent again but he could sense she was trying to collect her thoughts without him knowing what she was doing.

“Fitz you need to go to Gildingham. We will see each other soon enough. If the council has invited you to go, it must be important and then when you get back you can tell me all about it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely, I trust you Fitz and I trust us. It will be hard and I may get a little grumpy not seeing you but I know you are doing what you need to.”

“I miss you so much Sophie, I can't wait to see you again, and kiss you again.”

Sophie blushed and was glad Fitz couldn't see her at that moment. She had thought about their perfect first kiss a lot over the past 5 weeks and even though they had talked a lot about everything else the past 5 weeks they hadn't really talked much about that part of their relationship.

“Me too Fitz, I should get back to studying and you need to let the council know you are going on that trip. We can talk more later, and Fitz. . .”

Sophie paused wanting to phrase this next part perfectly.

“Something's might be easier to just talk about in person ok? So just keep trusting me if you feel like I am holding back. I promise I will tell you everything when I can.”

“Ok, i trust you. Until then my Sophie.”

Fitz was smiling again as he cut their transmissions. He was so excited to get to go on a special trip for the council and things with Sophie felt good again, maybe he would get into his treats and get some of the custard bursts his parents sent when his thoughts went back to Keefe earlier. Why would he say his parents sent Ripplefluffs, they never sent those?