"Will he be okay?" Sophie asked, stammering as she saw the unconscious, shirtless Fitz, covered in bandages. Alden and Della already came to visit him two days ago, and Sophie is the only visitor left.

"It looks worse than it does." Elwin repiled. "You won't expect him to wake up for a few days, he's sedated."

Sophie stared at Fitz, as Claire started to cry. He still came. After all those years of ignoring him. He still likes you. Granite's words rang in Sophie's head. Does he?

She petted Claire gently on the head. "Dad..." she wailed. Sophie stared into her child's brown eyes, Claire haven't seen her dad since she was born, because Keefe's always on Emissary missions and rarely come home. Sophie suspected him to have another girl outside the Lost Cities, but he insisted that he don't. The next week, he left her pregnant with his kid and went to investigate the Forbidden Cities himself, he didn't come back until the day he killed himself. Sophie's glad she missed his funeral, since he was so uncaring.

Sophie touched Fitz's forehead. I really wish you were awake. I miss you, Fitz. She transmitted. Her heart pounds faster. Sophie was 99% sure this feeling inside her is love. Now, she needed proof.

Fitz 's eyes opened. Sophie stared at him. 

"Missed me, huh?" Fitz said, flashing his Hollywood-movie-star worthy smile.

"You... heard that?" Sophie knew her cheeks are now crimson red.

"Yep." 

Sophie wrapped her arms around him after she set Claire on his cot. "Thanks for doing this." She whispered into his ear.

"For what?" 

"Saving us." Sophie replied. "But why did you do this, you know you don't need to."

Fitz laughed. "I'm your Cognate, Sophie, and sometimes I just had the feeling that I should do somehting." 

Sophie leaned closer. "Don't laugh. I still like you, Fitz. And Tiergan knid of told me everything."

"That was surprising." Fitz said, avoiding eye contact with Sophie.

"It is." Sophie agreed. They sat there in silence and Sophie broke it. "Shall we?" She whispered into Fitz's ear, leaning closer than ever, feeling Fitz's hot breath on her cheeks felt like a zillion tingles. She slowly wrapped her arms around him, their faces a few inches apart. Fitz hesistated and finally leaned closer to Sophie, Sophie closed her eyes, feeling the soft, warm touch of Fitz's lips touching hers. FINALLY! Her mind was totally screaming. She felt Fitz drop his arms around her waist gently. Their lips moved in sync and stayed there for around 300 seconds, Sophie counted. Fitz was the first to broke apart.

"Zero regrets?" He asked Sophie, his stern eyes not matching the smile on his face. 

Sophie smiled. She gave him a quick peck on the cheeks. "Absolutely none."

"Looks like you made up." Elwin said behind them.

Sophie and Fitz jerked back. "How much did you see?"

"Well, kind of everything? I wouldn't say that, but you're cheating on Lord Hunkyhair." Ro cut in.

"Since when you're here?" 

"Just a few minutes ago, I didn't knew I would be attacked by a huge Fitzphie smoochfest." Ro said, clearly disappointed.

Sophie totally forgot the fact that Ro has become Sophie's sixth bodyguard since Keefe died. Ro glared at Fitz angrily. She doesn't know that fact yet.

Elwin set a tray of elixirs on Fitz cot. "You better drink this up before I'm back." Elwin warned. Fitz let out a deep sigh.

"Well, Blondie, seems like you're going to have something to say to me." Ro said, dragging her out of the healing center. "I don't need Hunkyhair to tell me that you're confused."

"Fitz didn't kill him, it's not him." Sophie breathed out at last.

"Are you trying to tell me that Hunkyhair would kill himself?" Ro growled.

"Yes." Sophie answered, staring as fierce as she could be at Ro in the eyes.

"Whatever." Ro grumbled, slumping onto the marble floor.

Sophie took the chance and went back to Fitz, who was swallowing down the elixirs with a crumpled face.

"Need help?" Sophie asked, taking one of the  vials, unscrewing the lid.

"I'm fine." Fitz said, forcing the purple liquid into his throat.

"Well, you don't seem fine to me." Sophie replied, pressing the glass on his lips. Sophie's heart pumped fast, she did't know where did she get the courage to do this. She poured the vial into Fitz's mouth, Fitz covered his mouth as soon as the last drop of liquid went down his throat.

Sophie stuffed a piece of the snickerdoodle candy Elwin left on his table into Fitz's mouth.

"Better?" Sophie asked.

Fitz shrugged. Sophie took that as a 'yes' anyway.