Cool tingles across her forehead pulled her back to reality, and Sophie took deep breaths, luxuriating in the rise and fall of her chest. She'd forgotten how wonderful it was to breathe. "That's my girl," someone whispered. She knew the voice, but her foggy mind couldn't place it.

Something touched her lips and she parted them, gulping the cool wetness that poured into her mouth. She wanted to drink forever, but the liquid stopped. Her face twisted in protest. "I know," the voice said, "but you have to give your stomach a chance to adjust. It's been empty for a long time now." She wanted to argue, but her stomach cramped as the cold liquid hit it. Her body contorted. "Can't you give her anything for the pain?" another voice asked from somewhere nearby. "I need her to feel right now, so I can check her progress. Then I can numb her again." "No," she begged, horrified at her strangled voice. She'd had enough sedative to last a lifetime. "no medicine."

"Shhh," he whispered, rubbing balm into her dry lips. "I won't give you any medicine, I promise. Now please, lay still before you wear yourself out." "Okay."

She forced her eyes open, squinting in the light. A round face with dark messy hair hovered over her. The iridescent spectacles gave him away. "Elwin," she whispered. Tears pooled in his eyes. "I can't tell you how good it is to hear you say that. Bullhorn's been sleeping next to you for two weeks. We were starting to lose hope. But yesterday he moved, and now here you are."

Someone sniffled behind her. "Alden?" She asked, recognizing the other voice she'd heard. "I'm here." he whispered, stepping into her line of sight and taking her hand. "You up for a few visitors?" Elwin asked. "Sure." she whispered. Alden propped her up with a pillow, and she realized she was at Everglen, in the room she'd stayed in her first night as an elf. Outside, she could hear some murmured debate over who should see her first, and then Fitz rushed to her side.

She swallowed back tears as she met his eyes. "Thanks for bringing me back." Before he could reply, Biana raced into the room, threw her arms around her and burst into tears.

"I'm so sorry, Sophie. My dad wanted you around more so he could keep an eye on you, so he told me to reach out to you- but I really am your friend and then you were gone and..." Her voice trailed into sobs.

"It's okay," Sophie whispered, and she meant it. If Biana cared enough to rescue her- cared enough to cry- that was enough. "Forget about it, okay? We're still friends." Biana sniffled and pulled back to meet her eyes.

"Really?"

"Really."

"All right, enough girly drama," Keefe said, shoving his way in. "I was part of the rescue too, remember? I'm the one who knew the tree you told Fitz about was the Four Seasons Tree, so if it weren't for me..." he faltered as he seemed to realize he was talking about her dying.

"Thank you, Keefe." She smiled to show him she didn't mind.

He shrugged. "Anytime. And by the way, you're a telepath? I think that proves once and for all that you're definitely the Most. Mysterious. Girl. Ever." His face darkened. "My dad was very smug when he heard you'd been training with Tiergan. He always has to be right. And this time he was."

Sophie's eyes darted to Alden. "It's okay. You won't have to hide it anymore. In fact, everyone seems to know every detail that's happened these past few months." He shot a meaningful glance at Keefe. Great. Everyone knew what a freak she was. Though it was kind of a relief. No more hiding. No more lying. Her friends would stand by her- and the others? She wasn't sure she cared.

"Things are changing," Alden added. "But we'll talk about that later. Right now you should rest."

"Not without these," Fitz said, handing her a bright blue elephant and a floral bear with wings. "Ella! Clarity!" Sophie buried her face between Ella's floppy ears and Clarity's fabric wings, ignoring Keefe's snickers. She'd been through too much to care about being teased. She met Fitz's eyes, melting when he smiled at her.

"Thank you guys for rescuing me."

"Just get better, okay?" Keefe ordered. "School wasn't the same without you. No explosions or emergencies. Boring."

"I'll try." She promised.  And if you need anything, you know how to reach me. Fitz transmitted. Sophie gasped. "How?"

Fitz grinned. I have no idea. I slipped in when you where fading and now it's easy.

Does that mean you can read my mind? She asked, preparing to die of embarrassment if he could. He shook his head. I can only transmit. Pretty cool though, huh? She nodded, trying not to worry about what might've happened to her brain to cause that kind of change.

"Hey– no secret telepathic conversations you two, or I'll have to assume you guys are flirting!" Keefe laughed as they both flushed and looked anywhere but at each other.

"I think Dex is going to explode if I don't let him in." Elwin interrupted.

"Crash! Bang! Screeeeeeeee! Shatter!" They looked at the door like there was a monster behind it and slowly backed away. "What was that? Sophie asked, tensed.

Keefe locked eyes with Sophie "Shadowflame, she is awake."

"Oh," Sophie relaxed "just give her some coffee or something and she will probably calm down." she said nonchalantly, "Trust me, it works."

"No Sophie, you don't understand." Biana gulped "We drugged her." Sophie gapped at them, "You what?! Are you crazy?! Why in the world would you do that?! If she hated you at first, she is definitely plotting your deaths now!"

Fitz rolled his eyes "Yeah, you don't have to tell us. She has tried to kill me more than twice! Falling statues and all! It got to the point where we had to drug her!"

"CRASH!" The door was nearly ripped off it's hinges as it slammed open. There stood a disheveled looking Shadowflame, although her hair still looked silky and gorgeous as ever. Her eyes looked red, and her brown irises looked like the rushing soil of a land slide. Her clothes were wrinkled and blue streak faded. She seemed to immediately calm down when her eyes laid on Sophie.

The Chinese rushed to the blonde's side. She dropped her skateboard and bokken to hug Sophie. "Moonlark!" She squealed like a little girl. "Flame," Sophie gasped for air "can't... breathe."

Shadowflame release her from the shaky hold and Sophie took a deep breath. Shadowflame began firing at her in fire rapid Chinese that she couldn't catch anything she said.

Dex burst through the door, and Sophie's breath caught in her throat. He looked perfect- not a scratch on him. We'll see you later, Fitz promised as he pulled Keefe and Biana out with him.

Dex stomped past them. "Next time you try to rescue me, concentrate a little more on yourself, okay? You almost died because of me."

"Actually, you almost died because of me. Twice." she reminded him, her voice shaking as she tried not to think about his blank eyes after the melder blast. He bit his lip.

"Call it even?"

"Deal."

Shadowflame dragged him in for a hug between all three of them. Squeezing them. As if to comfort herself that they were really there and alive. They pulled away. "Shadowflame?" Sophie looked at the only human in the room weirdly "Why can't I hear your thoughts even though I'm not blocking them out?"

"Dex made me this wicked ear cuff that makes my mind silent." The Chinese swept back her silky dark brown hair to show a silver ear cuff with tiny ice blue crystal stars on it with a electric blue crescent moon dangling at the end. "Whoa."

"Yeah, told you technopathy is awesome." Shadowflame told Dex pointedly. Shadowflame squeezed Sophie's hand. "You're really okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little tired."

Shadowflame then turned to Dex. "How about you? Did the melder do any damage?" Her eyes searching for for tiny injuries.

"Nothing Elwin couldn't fix." He smiled reassuringly. "And nothing like what happens when you leap with all your concentration wrapped around other people." He gave Sophie a pointed look when he said that.

"What was I suppose to do? My concentration's weak as it is, Flame is human and you were injured." Sophie argued.

"Actually, your concentration isn't weak at all," Alden corrected. "Dex and Shadowflame didn't lose a single cell in the leap," Elwin agreed. "if you'd kept a little more of that concentration to yourself, you wouldn't have faded. And I wouldn't have had to spend two weeks trying to bring the color and life back to your half-drained body."

"Sorry." she mumbled, cringing at the words "half-drained." Shadowflame noticed and sent a death glare to Elwin which made him shrink back from the two brown eyed girls.

"But my nexus is barely at the half. Dex, you saw it. How could my concentration be so strong?"

"We'll talk later," Alden said "right now you need to rest."

He pulled the blankets around her shoulders, and she snuggled Ella and Clarity, wondering why Fitz had them. She'd left them at Havenfield. "Did Grady and Edaline come to see me?" she whispered, hating herself for hoping they had.

"They haven't left since Fitz found you. You have no idea what they've been going through these past three and a half weeks. The only ray of sunshine they've had is that Shadowflame hasn't tried to kill them like she's had with almost everyone. Especially Fitz. The poor boy is scared for life."

"Three and a half weeks?"

"You've been gone a long time Sophie. They're waiting outside, but they understand if you don't want to see them."

Emotion caught in her throat and she cleared it away. As much as they'd hurt her, as angry she'd been, she couldn't shut them out– not after everything she'd been through. "You can send them in." She whispered. Alden squeezed her shoulder and led Dex and Shadowflame out the door. They waved as two gaunt figures crept into the room.

Sophie blinked. "Grady? Edaline?" She barely recognized them. They looked like they hadn't eaten or slept or changed clothes in weeks. Edaline covered her trembling lips and raced to Sophie, crawling into the bed to hold her so tight it was almost hard to breathe, like Shadowflame's hug but not nearly as tight. Grady dropped to his knees on the floor beside them, squeezing Sophie's arm.

"I'll just... give Shadowflame the detoxing serums." Elwin said, fleeing the scene as they all started crying.

Grady cleared his throat and wiped his eyes. "Sorry, we don't want to wear you out. It's just a little overwhelming to get you back. We went to your funeral..."

Another sob shook Edaline's shoulders before she released Sophie and pulled herself up, squeezing Sophie's hands. "Losing you was one of the hardest things I've ever endured," she whispered "but the worst part was knowing that you had no idea how much you mean to us."

Grady squeezed both of their hands. "We never wanted to love anyone again after we lost Jolie," Edaline whispered "but we love you Sophie. You're just as much our daughter as she was. We need you to know that– not because we want you to forgive us, but because you deserve to know."

"Canceling your adoption was the worst mistake we've ever made." Grady added. "You'll always have a home with us at Havenfield, but we understand if you want to stay with Alden and Della. We just hope you'll come visit sometime. Let us be a tiny part of your life– even if we don't deserve it."

Sophie nodded, too overwhelmed to say anything other than, "Thanks." But when Edaline kissed her cheek and Grady stroked her hair, she added, "I love you guys too." They both smiled, and even though they were still thin and tired, they looked more like themselves. Edaline kissed her cheek again.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Grady pulled a tiny furball out of his pocket. "Iggy!"

Iggy flitted to her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek. Sophie gagged. "Ugh, I forgot about Iggy breath." She scratched his fuzzy head, and his crackly purr filled the room. "Thanks for your help in the cave little man."

Edaline sniffled. "He did come and find us. Took us a while to figure out what he wanted, and by the time we got down to the caves there'd been a huge wave and..." Her voice vanished. Sophie squeezed her hand. "I'm safe." She tried to believe the words were true.

Grady stood up as she yawned. "We'll let you sleep." She didn't want to sleep after losing so much time, but her body demanded it, and by the time Grady pulled the blankets around her and switched off the lights, she was already asleep with Iggy snoring like a chainsaw beside her.