So, here is the anticipated next chapter. Hope you guys like it and please review!

DISCLAIMER I do not own Keeper of the Lost Cities. Shannon Messenger definitely does and always will.

Sophie's cheeks went warm as she looked inside of the beautifully-made box. On a teal sheet of wax paper, much to Sophie's happiness lay the most glorious chocolates she had ever seen. They were all different colors, some with sprinkles or different kinds of sauce. White chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate... they were all there. Some were crunchy and nutty and others were hard and chewy, full of caramel or some other thick syrup. One even was made of hardened honey. There was a booklet with all of the names and ingredients, and as Sophie took it out, her hands shook. She hadn't had chocolate since she had left the human world four years ago. She looked up to thank Fitz, but he was already at the other end of the room, blushing. He looked at her face and sighed.

"You hate it, don't you? I knew I shouldn't have brought back anything that would remind you of your old life, but I really thought that it would be—"

Sophie cut him off by standing up and sprinting to the other side of the room and proceeding to wrap her arms around Fitz in a big hug. He looked utterly surprised as she whispered in his ear so that only he could hear, though she knew that Keefe and maybe Biana were straining to eavesdrop, "You stupid elf! Why in the world would I hate this— this, amazing gift? This is the best thing you could possibly give me!" Well, maybe the second best. Sophie blushed at the thought that had suddenly popped into her head and at the fact that her arms were still around Fitz, who just so happened to be squeezing gently back. Everyone was staring at her, Keefe with his trademark smirk, but also with something else, maybe pain? and Biana with her happy smile and Linh... stoic, and Tam with a confused expression and Sophie was sure that she had permanently ruined her life for the next two thousand years. Or more.

Sophie ran back to the box of chocolate before anyone could say anything. Keefe's eyes looked suspiciously damp as he said, "Hey Foster? You could tell us what it is, you know, before locking arms with Wonderboy here and forgetting about the rest of us. Particularly me."

Sophie looked at everyone and said, "Oh yeah, I completely forgot that you guys don't know! Um, this is a human treat. It's actually sometimes a delicacy but lately, it's been used in a lot more things that normal. There are chocolate pretzels and chocolate ice cream and chocolate donuts..." She stopped at the dumbfounded and confused expressions on everyone's faces excepting Fitz. "Anyways... um, chocolate is this sweet treat that is made of—"

Keefe leaped over, all traces of tears gone, and said, "Oh, Foster, who cares what it's made of? Sweet stuff? Sounds good to me!"

Fitz walked over and said to his best friend, "Keefe? Whose birthday is it?"

Keefe turned red and turned away. Sophie, feeling a pang of remorse and something else, yelled, "Keefe! Don't leave! Here, have two or three! Come on!"

Keefe turned back around, flashed a dashing smile that almost beat Sophie's private thoughts on Fitz's teal eyes, and grabbed a big hunk of milk chocolate that had white chocolate sauce drizzled on top. Sophie looked at the chart and said,

"That is the mint delight. I think. It has a milk chocolate outside, white chocolate drizzle, and a cool mint inside that is sure to make 'anyone want more.'" Keefe couldn't care less as he popped the chocolate into his mouth. His face went slack as he fell instantly in love. At once, everyone else, including Keefe, clambered over Sophie to have a piece or another in Keefe's case, and by the end, everyone got one, except for Fitz. Sophie handed him a chocolate, but he shook his head.

"I don't need one. This is your gift for your birthday and look, there are only about fifteen left for you! You haven't had one in... what, four years?! You deserve it more than me. Besides, I could always just get more." Fitz smiled a devilish grin.

"Are you sure? Dex will still have to have one when he gets here, anyway," Sophie responded. Keefe jumped in and said,

"No problemo! We can just hide it from him and pretend it was never here."

Sophie gave Keefe a cutting glance. "We'll do no such thing, Keefe. Anyhow, Fitz, how did you get these?"

Fitz smiled. "Oh, should I really tell you?" Seeing Sophie's pleading look, he relented with a small grin and a faint hue of pink on his cheeks. "So you know all of those secret trips that I said my father had sent me on when I was searching for you? I was sneaking out to the Forbidden Cities without anyone but my father knowing. I had searched through a weird machine thingy with a strange thing that had a lot of buttons on it. It showed different pictures and stuff... Anyways, luckily, I know a teensy weensy bit of English, so I just typed in something that sounded like 'chocolate' and then a bunch of stores came up, along with a corrected search term. So on my next trip, I just went to one of the number one shops and here we are! It was called Creighton's Chocolate and was located in the United Kingdom."

Biana snapped her fingers and shook her head at the same time. "So that's where you were going all that time! You would always come back smelling strange, but you lied and said that you were fighting dragons with Keefe. I knew you were lying, but despite all of my master spying skills, I couldn't find out anything!" She pouted at being thwarted. Fitz punched his sister lightly on the arm.

"If I had told you, the first thing you would've done was run and tell Sophie what I was doing. Come on, admit it." Biana looked down and blushed, but not without a shrug and a small smile.

Sophie smiled at Fitz. "Well, thank you! And don't worry, I would never hate such an amazing gift!" Fitz blushed and looked at his feet.

Sophie turned to everyone. "So, is that everyone's gifts? I opened Biana's, Tam and Linh's, and Fitz's. Wait, Keefe? Where's yours?" Then Sophie blushed as she realized. She ran to the other side of her bed and came back with a rather bent up gift. "I'm so sorry, Keefe. I completely forgot where I had put it... Or thrown it." Sophie gave an apologetic smile as she ran her hands over the wrapping paper, feeling the edges of the tape. Keefe grinned at her, apparently in the forgiving mood. "What could this be?"

She tore open the paper and looked inside. "Uhh... Keefe, what is this?"

Keefe smiled and said, "Foster, let me show you the wonders of the Charm of Keefe! Basically, you use it to find all the dirty secrets I use to pull off all of my tricks and stuff. Oh, and you can also find out who I like... though that part MAY be a little complicated. I mean, Dex helped me with it, although I must admit, I had to bribe him with a LOT of money, Foster. So appreciate it. And even if you try to act like me, nobody will ever be me, just remember that. And besides, I like you just the way you are." Keefe didn't even have the shame to blush at his boldness, though Sophie flushed red for him.

"Well, thanks, Keefe. Um, I love it!" Keefe looked dejected as Sophie tried to hide her confusion and disinterest. Keefe brightened up and said,

"Don't worry, Foster. I got you another gift as a backup, just in case you didn't want to be me.." He handed her another messily-wrapped up gift. "This one you will like. I think."

Sophie tore open the paper. "Okay, this one I like."

It was a collection of things that Sophie liked, such as a few pictures of Silveny and Iggy and all of her friends. It also had a long list of compliments about Sophie and things that she was sure to love one day (Keefe's name was on the list). Sophie hugged Keefe and said, "Thanks so much, Keefe. I really love it! But I already love you!" Fitz turned away and not so covertly punched the wall.

"Uhh... Fitz? Are you okay?" Sophie asked.

"Sorry... uh, there was a mosquito," Fitz said.

Sophie looked at everyone else, deciding to ignore Fitz. "Okay, I think we'd better go play Base Quest before Dex gets here. Otherwise, we'll have uneven teams."

Fitz grinned. "I think that would be fairer anyway. All of us against you, Sophie. But I bet you would still find a way to beat us."

Sophie rolled her eyes and blushed. They headed out to play base quest.

So there is the next chapter! Hope you guys liked it! 

Please comment, follow, vote, etc, and please no hate mail! Thanks so much! -malaynamonkey2004