The months after she and Adrien had said their final goodbye, at sixteen years old, had torn apart Amelie's heart. She had felt the ache of his absence in everything that she did. Walking home from the bus stop had made her clench her fists and feel as though the very sky was pushing down upon her, like she was trudging through the pressure of water, rather than air.

She would think in circles, trying to rationalize her way out of the feelings, but every time she would get chocked up thinking about the finality of their goodbye, and circle back to despair.

They had met up in New York City that year. She had skipped school and taken the train on her own. After the previous year, when Adrien had come all the way from DC to her, she decided she could adventure out to meet him.

Even eight years later, she could still picture Adrien's tear-filled face laying in the Central Park grass next to her as he had said the words that broke her heart for the first time in her young life.

"After this year, I'm being sent abroad to complete my training. I don't know where, we have stations all over the world. And I don't know if I'll ever get to come back." He had sniffed and reached towards her to cup her face in his hand. She had grabbed his free hand in hers and squeezed, unsure of what else to say.

He had then brushed his thumb lightly over her cheek, sparking a sensation that would replay in her head for years afterward.

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Amelie fought to keep her hand away from her face as the memory flashed through her mind.

They let go and Adrien followed her to the couch, watching as she sat down on one edge and pretzel-crossed her legs. She turned towards him and gestured for him to sit, then grabbed a cookie and leaned back against the arm of the couch, still facing Adrien. He mirrored her position, facing her and sitting criss-crossed on the other side of the couch. He reached for a cookie but before he could she grabbed the bag and ripped it away. She grinned childishly and said, "You haven't earned one yet," mimicking their conversation from years ago.

He smiled sheepishly and shrugged as if to agree.

"So where have you been? And why are you here? Eight whole years of nothing, Adrien. I thought you were my friend. You really hurt me, you know that? I'm glad to see you but rationally I cannot understand why you keep so much distance. I barely feel comfortable letting you in my door to be honest. Also, speaking of, how did you find my door?" Amelie knew she was rambling, but she also knew that she deserved a lot of answers.

Adrien sighed and looked away. "I don't know what I can tell you, Amelie. It's so complicated." He threw his head back on the arm rest and looked up at the ceiling. "You remember that stuff I showed you with the water? When we were fourteen?"

"Yes of course, Adrien. A girl doesn't just forget it when her friend admits he essentially goes to Hogwarts," she replied quickly.

"Ok. please don't hate me, Am. I messed up all those years ago. I should have told you from the beginning. I knew. Even at ten, I knew—" Amelie waited patiently for her friend to get the courage to say whatever it was he came here to say. He had always struggled with his words, she remembered fondly, and she knew to give him the space to untangle his thoughts before he blurted them in a confusing jumble.

"— you were one of us. I just didn't know how to tell you. I knew you wouldn't believe me and I wanted to protect you from it all. As soon as they found out who you were your life would completely change."

Amelie was at a loss for words. Adrien wasn't making any sense at all. She uncrossed her legs and pulled them up so she could wrap her arms around them. "Adrien....what are you saying?" she asked, anxiously, "I don't understand, and you're scaring me."

"I came here to tell you, Amelie, you're not a human. You're an Elf. An Elf like me." He started to continue so she stood up and started pacing. He sat quietly for a minute, understanding she needed time to process.

"You're saying, all those years ago, when you showed me magic...you mean I can do it too? And you let me think I couldn't? Are you sure? And then, why? Why the hell wouldn't you tell me shit like that?!" She was getting over her shock and moving into anger.

"I know. I'm sorry. I....I should have told you from the beginning," he paused, unsure how to continue. She marched back over to him and stomped her foot on the ground, frustrated, "Then why, Adrien. You had so many opportunities to tell me over the years. I believed you. Now I don't know what to believe."

He stood up and looked into her eyes. It was still bizarre for her to have to look up at Adrien, they had always matched exactly for height growing up. "Look at me," he reached out and caught her hand. She looked up at him, startled he would try to touch her when she was this livid.

With his other hand he reached up to his left eye and removed what appeared to be a contact lens. She stared at his face trying to understand what he wanted and waiting for him to say more, when she noticed his eye. The left eye was a vibrant icy silver, so light it was almost white. Nothing like the dark brown of the right eye. She shook her head and look up at him again.

"What?" was all she could manage to say, "Your other eye is silver too, then?"

"Yes, it is. I wear contacts to look human—"

"I cannot believe you," she interrupted, "All those years, you never once showed me this.

"It's not that I don't believe what you're saying, Adrien, you broke that wall down when I was fourteen and you showed me magic, but I just can't believe you would do this to me, as my friend. Why would you hide this from me? You don't have authority over my decisions, yet you acted like you did by hiding this from me for so many years."

Amelie wretched herself away from his hand and resumed her spot on the couch. She crossed her arms like a petulant child, but in no way felt like a child. This was such an extreme betrayal by her friend.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, still standing in the same spot, "I never wanted you to hate me. I was just thinking of protecting you from it all, I didn't think about what you might want. That's wrong. I was young and I'm so sorry I hurt you so badly from my actions. I didn't know at first, not really, it wasn't until you told me you were adopted when we were thirteen that it clicked for me you must be Elven. You may have the violet eyes, but you don't have other features that point out someone being Elven, so I assumed, somewhat hopefully, that your eyes were a fluke."

"But why? Your world sounds incredible, Adrien. Why wouldn't I want to be a part of it?" She grabbed the pillow that was behind her back and pulled it close to her so she could squeeze something.

"My world has been in political turmoil since I was born. For the past twenty some years, there have been massive power battles going on between realms. I didn't know where you would fit into that. I didn't know which side your parents came from. We might have ended up as enemies. Or worse, they might have tried you as a traitorous Elf for leaving the realms and living among the humans. There were so many possibilities and I didn't even know who to trust among my people that I could tell." He sat down on his side of the couch, keeping a good distance between them. Smart man.

"You're the only Elf born in the human world, Amelie. Elves don't give up their offspring because we are born so rarely. All those myths about Changelings would never ever occur because we value our young so much. Even the myths about Nephilem would not exist. Those are offspring that are half Human, half Elven.

"The scholars say we are a completely different species because we have been breeding separately for almost one million years. By a biological definition of speciation, that means that Humans cannot breed with Elves and produce viable offspring." Adrien looked up at Amelie then, as if to make sure she wasn't counting the steps to the door. "How are you doing with all this?"

"Um, scientifically it makes sense and is interesting....but I don't know why you're telling me this. You really think the reason I simply have a strange eye color is that I am a different species? That's too big of an explanation, I'm sorry, it just doesn't make sense. How can you know I'm one of you?"

""The only time I showed you magic, I felt something. I felt your magic reach out to mine. I never showed you again for that reason, not because I was afraid of being caught, like I claimed."

She said there quietly. Debating how to proceed. She had moved back to being furious.

Adrien started again, "And now, you've attracted the attention of a Worldbringer. He doesn't know; he just thinks you're from one of the liberal Realms that is loose one security measures, but he's not going to stop until he finds you. Taeneth has been on a political rampage recently and they're going to use your case as an example of the other Realms not complying with the regulations—" he stopped talking when he saw her stand up.

Amelie walked over to the door. She opened it and turned to her friend, "Adrien, I need you to leave."

Adrien stood up and slowly approached her. "Please, Amelie. I need you to try. Please just try to believe me. It's all true, I just don't know how to tell you. Please. You're in danger. Let me help you."

"Adrien, I believe you, it's not that. I felt it too when we were children. I'm just furious at you for keeping this from me. You are not in charge of me, nor am I some naive cute human pet or whatever." He clenched his hands into fists and started pacing around the living room. Still not getting the picture that she truly wanted him to leave.

"How am I in danger, Adrien? Because this Elven guy I met today is going to come hunt me down? I'll avoid that part of town where he found me. He didn't take my picture, he won't know what I look like or how to find me. I'll be okay. You're the one making me want to call the police." She looked up at him angrily. He had no right to come into her life after so much time. She had needed a friend too over the past eight years and where the hell had he been?

He finally stopped his pacing, and seemed to have make up his mind "Fine. Just... just take these," he handed her a box. "They're colored contacts. Take them and please use them. Just in case anyone else recognizes you from the Worldbringer's summons." he reached into his pocked again, pulling out a phone. "Can I give you my number? You can call me if you need help. Or if you want to learn more about all this."

She nodded and took his phone. She programmed her number in and then called herself. "Okay, I have your number. Have a nice night, Adrien," she said curtly.

He looked at her solemnly and nodded. Then he walked out the door.