Update: Even if you are reading this a long time after I wrote it, I would still appreciate reviews! Anything that helps make me a better writer is very helpful! Thanks!

Author's Note:

For the purposes of this story, Unlocked has not happened yet. Keefe does not have new powers. He doesn't know what his legacy is. The fight in the dwarven cities (from Legacy) never happened. Team Valiant was never formed. Sophie and Fitz have broken up, and Sophie knows who her biological mother is. Her enhancing and inflicting have been reset. I apologize for the confusing timeline, but the story doesn't fit otherwise. Also, this is a Sokeefe fanfiction. If you are a Sophitz, Sodex, or Sophorkle (is that a thing?) shipper, then don't read this. I do not own any of the characters. They are from Shannon Messenger's Keeper of the Lost Cities series.

Sophie groaned and threw her imparter across the room. It had been three hours since he'd promised to hail her. Not. A. Single. Message. She wished there was a better way to keep track of him. Maybe she should put a leash on him.

The reason for all of her worry and stress?

Keefe Sencen.

He'd been acting strange at Foxfire earlier in the day, and had promised to hail her after school and explain. Sophie picked up the imparter and tried hailing him again. He didn't answer. She sighed and tugged on an eyelash.

Grady walked in and glanced at Sophie, then turned to Sandor.

"Is she still waiting for that boy to hail her?" he asked.

Sandor grunted assent.

Grady sighed. "Sophie," he said, walking over to her. "You need to stop-"

Her imparter buzzed and she smiled, waving Grady away. Grady glared at the device like he wanted to destroy it, but he eventually walked out the door.

Keefe was hailing her.

Finally.

"What took you so long?" she asked after answering. "I told you to hail me right after school!"

"Easy, Foster," Keefe replied. "I was busy. You can stop giving me that cute little crease between your eyebrows now. I'm safe."

"I wasn't worried," Sophie mumbled.

Sandor arched an eyebrow at her from across the room, as if to remind her of the past few hours she spent staring at her imparter.

"Anyway, you wanted to know why I was acting strange earlier, right?" Keefe asked.

Sophie nodded.

Keefe smirked at her through the screen. "You're expecting some sort of big revelation, aren't you?"

"Shut up with the intro and just tell me," Sophie insisted.

"To be honest, it was nothing, really. Ro was just talking about some random bacteria stuff and it triggered a memory."

Sophie gasped. "Another memory? Show me! What was-"

"Foster, relax. It's not even a real memory. Just a tiny fragment. It doesn't make any sense. Completely unimportant," Keefe assured her.

"Nope. Your mom must have had it erased for a reason, right? Are you at the Shores of Solace right now?" she asked.

"Yeah," Keefe replied. "Why?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes so you can show me this memory. Did you tell Ro about it?" Sophie asked.

Keefe smirked. "No, I figured you'd make me do it anyway. I'll see you soon."

The imparter clicked off and Sophie jumped up, grabbing a cape off of her bed and draping it around her shoulders. "Come on, Sandor! We're going to the Shores of Solace!"

Sandor grumbled something that Sophie couldn't hear, then said, "Go tell Grady and Edaline."

Sophie rushed down the stairs and found Grady and Edaline in the kitchen.

"Mom, dad, I'm going to see Keefe! I'll be back soon!" she said.

Edaline smiled and said, "Have fun with your friend."

Sophie wasn't sure what that comment was supposed to mean, but she didn't have time to contemplate it right now. She ran back up the stairs to the Leapmaster 500 and shouted for the Shores of Solace.

Sandor and Sophie arrived at Keefe's father's house. His second house. The first one, Candleshade, was a 200 story castle. It was dark and cold, but certainly very regal, which was probably the intent. Now, Keefe and his father lived here.

Beautiful. That was the only word to describe the Shores of Solace. It consisted of a single, sprawling level with mother-of-pearl walls and massive windows overlooking the turquoise ocean. The scattered rooms were connected by vine-wrapped arches and broken up with sun-baked inner courtyards. Everything was bright and airy. Elegant, but comfortable. Decorated in dove grays and soothing shades of blue.

Sophie could see why he named it the Shores of Solace. However, Keefe's father had kept this beautiful place a secret from his son for many years. That put a damper on the elegance and attraction of the house.

Ro, Keefe's bodyguard, had dubbed the place 'the Waves of Wimpiness'. The nickname stuck, and whenever Sophie was around Lord Cassius, she referred to the house as the Waves of Wimpiness as well. It was fun to see him grind his teeth.

At this point, Sophie had been here so many times that the elegant beauty and breathtaking view seemed normal. Sophie visited Keefe at least once every week, to make sure he was okay and to do homework and generally just hang out. Since learning about Keefe's mysterious legacy and figuring out that she was unmatchable, Sophie and Keefe had become really close.

Legacy buddies, he called them.

The front door opened before she could knock, and Keefe stepped out.

"Hey, Foster," he said. "Come on in."

They walked through the first few rooms and Sophie caught a glimpse of Lord Cassius in his study. Keefe led her into his room. Since the first few times she'd been here, he had tidied up considerably. She spent so much time here that Keefe started cleaning it up. Most days, they would sit outside on the porch swing and make as much noise as possible to annoy Keefe's father. Today, however, they had work to do.

Ro was leaning against the closet doors when they walked in.

"Hey, Blondie," she said.

Sophie smiled. "Hi."

Her and Keefe sat down, and she put her hands on his temples.

Hey, Foster.

Hi, Keefe, she transmitted back to him. Now about that memory-

Wait, Keefe thought. First, I wanted to ask you something.

Okay?

I was just curious how the Fitzster and you are doing.

Sophie sighed. It's complicated. I'm not sure how to describe it. . .

She trailed off, hoping Keefe would understand.

It's cool. What's more important is how are you doing?

Sophie smiled. Keefe had been through so much, yet he was still asking how she was doing after a breakup.

I'm okay. But anyway, let's have a look at that memory.

A memory surfaced at the front of Keefe's consciousness. Keefe was about seven, it looked like, and he was hiding in a cabinet at Candleshade. His mom was in the kitchen, and she was talking to somebody on her imparter.

Keefe had been hiding there for hours now. Lady Gisela had started playing a game of hide-and-seek with him, but had apparently forgotten. This was normal. Keefe still remembered that time his parents left him in Atlantis, and once in Mysterium as well.

Sophie felt a pang of sympathy and regret. It wasn't fair that an amazing boy like Keefe had to suffer through so much hurt and pain.

Foster, Keefe thought. You can stop the pity-party. I'm fine.

She'd forgotten he was an empath.

It's not pity, she transmitted. I'm just trying to resist walking into the other room and punching your father in the face.

Hey, he wasn't the one who forgot about me this time, Keefe thought back to her. This time it was mommy dearest.

Well, we're not sure where your mother is right now, Sophie insisted. But your father is only a few doors down.

She felt Keefe's emotions lighten a little bit. Nah, I wouldn't want you to hurt your hands.

The memory continued. Lady Gisela was saying something into her imparter that young Keefe couldn't hear. He could only make out a few words.

"Microbe. . . biodome. . . organism. . . multicellular. . ."

See why Ro triggered it? Keefe asked Sophie.

Yeah, she transmitted. Ro's always going on about bacteria-related stuff.

The memory finished and Sophie pulled her hands back.

"See what I mean?" Keefe asked. "Not at all significant."

"Care to explain the purpose of your little elf-y brain session right there?" Ro asked.

"Keefe recovered a fragment of a memory," Sophie replied. "You triggered it at school earlier today while you were talking about some sort of bacteria or something."

Sophie and Keefe told Ro what he'd remembered.

Sophie noticed that Keefe brushed over why he was in the cabinet in the first place. He didn't like people pitying him.

Just as Keefe finished his explanation, the door opened. Lord Cassius walked in, and shot Sophie a cold look before turning back to his son.

"I wanted to notify you that I will be gone for the next few days. I'm sure you won't care, seeing as how you're with her. Don't bother trying any of your pranks. I'm sure Miss Foster won't let you anyway. Should you need me while I'm gone, you can hail Alden."

Lord Cassius turned to walk away, and Keefe muttered, "Why would I need you?"

Keefe's father turned back around. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Keefe mumbled.

Lord Cassius left.

Sophie's heart felt like it was breaking in half. Sometimes, Sophie wanted to lock Keefe up in her room so she could keep an eye on him, and make sure he was okay. She couldn't stand watching his father look at him with so much resentment and disappointment. Keefe had been hurt so many times, it was a wonder he was still the same person.

Sophie reached out and grabbed Keefe's hand. She wasn't sure why she did it, but it seemed to comfort him. Keefe smiled at her. It was a small smile, but it was a real one. Her heart fluttered, and she hoped Keefe couldn't sense how erratic her pulse was.

Lately, her heart had been doing strange things when she was around Keefe. Maybe it was because of her strengthened enhancing. She wasn't sure. Her enhancing was exceptionally strong on Keefe.

That was the only possible reason. . .

Right?