Keefe
Keefe stared out the window, drumming his fingers on the small side door. He watched the scenery change, from grassy fields to woody forests. He even spotted a sheep and some cows. He was bored out of his mind. Plus, he had a massive headache and felt nauseous. Carsickness really sucked.
"Can you stop that?"
"What?," Keefe asked. He had started nodding off.
"Your fingers. It's getting on my nerves." Sophie took a hand off the wheel for a second to gesture to his hand.
"What about them?," Keefe asked innocently.
Sophie tore her eyes off the road to give him a look.
"Fine, fine!" Keefe lifted his hands in the air, as if to say 'I surrender'. "I stopped."
Sophie sighed. She looked back at the road.
Five minutes later, Keefe started tapping the door again.
"Stop."
"..."
Two minutes later, Keefe asked, "Are we there yet?"
"No. We still have at least four hours."
"Oh. Are we there yet?"
"You just asked that."
"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" Keefe enjoyed watching her roll her eyes. He loved how even when she was annoyed at him, she couldn't keep the small smile off her face.
"It's hard to believe that Agent Gisela's your mother."
"I'm just that awesome," Keefe said sassily.
Sophie chuckled. "You're right, it's a good thing. I'd rather be here with you than Agent Gisela." Sophie didn't seem to realize the effect it had on Keefe. Keefe's eyes lit up. His heart felt ready to burst. He knew she'd never feel the same way about him (A/N: wrongggggg, Keefe), but even just as friends, she managed to make him happier than ever.
"Well, who would rather be with my mother?" Keefe grimaced playfully.
"Good point."
The conversation died down from there. Keefe went back to looking out the window and mentally cursing his carsickness, and Sophie turned her focus back to driving.
Keefe had only been at the Black Swan for a few days, but he could already see how different it was from the Neverseen. In the Black Swan, the members often were more likely to reveal their real names than their code names. For example, Fitz seemed to have no problem with Keefe knowing his real name, but he flat out refused to tell Keefe his code name. During the days Keefe had spent in Alluveterre, he had learned almost all of the trainers' names and Sophie's friends' names. The exceptions in all this were the collective and Physic. On the other hand, in the Neverseen, Keefe had yet to know who most of the members really were. He had tried in vain for years to take off Glam's hood, but he had never succeeded. Eventually, he had given up, deciding that Glam was way nicer than most of the others.
"Hey, Sophie?"
"Yeah?"
"How come the Black Swan let me in so soon? I don't get it." He had been pondering the question since Dex and Linh had brought him to the Black Swan.
"The fact that you have potential is what sparks the Collective's interest. But being good at spying doesn't make it a done deal. Agent Forkle always looks to see if people look like they have good intentions, if they have a good heart. And...he's rarely wrong."
Keefe smiled, so different from his usual smirk. "I'm touched, Foster." And he wasn't joking. He was being sincere. Agent Forkle thought he was a good guy.
For years, Keefe had been afraid that he was like his parents - or on his way there. Some days, he woke up and stared at the ceiling for a long time, trying to find the difference between him and his mother. Between him and his father. Between him and every other member of the Neverseen. He was terrified that one day he wouldn't have an answer. That there was no difference. He looked in the mirror and saw his mother in his ice blue eyes. He saw his father in his blond hair and set jaw. He saw Ruy and Fintan when he looked at his cloak. And he saw everyone when he looked at the symbol of the Neverseen. He hated it.
Every day, he'd wake up to the harsh reality of who he was and where he was. He was Keefe Sencen, son of Gisela Sencen and Cassius Sencen, two jerk parents. Keefe Sencen, heir to the Neverseen, Agent Lodestar. Keefe Sencen, who lived in the Neverseen's hideout.
He kept on telling himself that he was here to help the Black Swan. But maybe, he just wanted to escape from his life. Although, admittedly, it wasn't as if he'd had much of a choice.
"Sophie, talk to me."
Sophie's eyebrows shot up. "What?"
"I'm bored, so I'm rethinking my whole life. Saveeee meeeeeeeee."
Sophie snorted. "Well, um, I'm adopted."
"Oh. Do you know who your real parents were?" He didn't want to be rude, but he didn't know what else to say.
Sophie shrugged, not taking her eyes off the car in front of her. "It happened when I was two. My sister, Amy, had just been born. Then, all three of them, my parents and Amy, were in a car accident. I was too little to remember any of them. I'm not one of those people who spends their whole lives trying to find out more about their family. Yes, I wish I knew more about them. I do miss them."
"Maybe if they hadn't died...I wouldn't be the Moonlark. I don't regret saying yes to Agent Forkle. But sometimes...I stop to say, 'What if?'"
Keefe nodded. "I sometimes think about how it would have been if my mom wasn't the leader of the Neverseen. But then, I'd hit a dead end. My dad would still be a jerk, and my mom would still be using me. So then, I'd think about what it would be like if I had different parents. Right after, though, I'd realize that I don't know what parents should be like. All I have to go off of are books." He mock-bowed, though that was hard to do while sitting in the car. "And Ta-daaaa! Thank you for listening to the story of my life!"
Sophie spared him an amused glance. "If you want, I could tell you about my new parents, Grady and Edaline."
Keefe smirked. "Well, then, tell me!" On the inside, however, he was eager to hear what she had to say.
"Well, Grady is my super over-protective dad, and Edaline is the sweetest person you'll meet - well, there's Linh..."
The two talked for a long time, making Keefe forget about being bored and carsick.
Agent Forkle
"Sophie's gone?" Out of all the things, he never would've expected that.
He knew a lot more than he let on. Yes, everyone expected him to, but they also had secrets they kept from him. Yet he knew the large majority of them. Like how Keefe was actually Agent Lodestar (Hello, New Author here the original author got this from @Saramd126. They hadn't even thought Agent Forkle knowing before you commented that. XD. Thanks for commenting on the past book!) But he never told the rest of the Collective.
"We found this note," Biana said gloomily. She gave him a post-it note.
Agent Forkle read it carefully. Sophie's handwriting was sloppier than usual, so she must have been in a rush.
Agent Forkle, you'll most likely end up reading this. I'm sorry to leave without much of an explanation, but I'll let you know that I have not been kidnapped. I've gone to find the cure. I know where and what it is. P. S. Keefe found out and made me let him come.
Agent Forkle smiled fondly. He was sure Mr. Sencen (god, it was weird calling him Mr. Sencen, but this is in Agent Forkle's P.O.V., so...) had insisted that he should go with her.
"What do we do?," Dex asked. "Sophie's gone!"
"Granite! Blur! Wraith! Squall!," Agent Forkle shouted.
The four came immediately.
"What's wrong?," Squall demanded.
"Sophie's gone to find a cure."
Agent Granite groaned. "I should have known."
"She took the Sencen boy with her."
"Why am I not surprised?"
Agent Forkle lowered his hood. "Because we've known Miss Foster for over ten years. And that is why I installed a tracker on her clothes."
"I almost forgot about those!," Squall said.
"Wait," Dex interrupted, "does this mean we, Linh, Biana, Fitz, Tam, and I, have trackers on our clothes, too?!"
The Collective looked anywhere but at him.
"Maybe," Agent Blur said.
"We should probably focus more on Sophie right now, shouldn't we?," Squall pointed out, chuckling nervously.
Dex only sighed and muttered something about taking those trackers off first chance he got.
"Ms. Song, Ms. Vacker, Mr. Dizznee," Agent Forkle said, turning to each in turn, "your concern for your friend is valid. However-" he took out the device linked to the trackers "-it seems that Sophie is moving. If she stops for longer than two hours, we raise the alarm. Is that clear?"
The three nodded. "Crystal," added Dex.
Biana
Biana glanced over her shoulder, making sure no one was following her. Agent Forkle had sent them back to their rooms after they shared their discovery.
Biana snuck into the infirmary. Physic was supposed to be meeting with Tinker, right now.
Tam was on a bed isolated from the rest. His face was shiny with sweat. Biana could only imagine how hard this was for him.
Fitz was reading on his cot. He was sitting upright, his legs criss-crossed. Luckily, he was too engrossed in his story to see Biana.
Biana didn't want him to see her. No one except Physic was allowed to come in. They didn't know if the sickness was contagious. But Biana couldn't help it.
She dropped down and crawled to Tam's cot, making sure she was out of her brother's line of sight. She popped back up on the side of the cot. Thankfully, Fitz couldn't see her here.
She reached out her hand and gently brushed his silky bangs out of his face. She almost jumped when Tam smiled and looked peaceful for a second. Maybe it was Biana's imagination, but he seemed to relax slightly.
She stroked his hair softly. A smile slowly grew on her own face. Maybe they would get through this, after all.
Tam
He felt a soft, cool hand push the bangs out of his face. He relished the touch. Somehow, he knew this was Biana.
He could barely do it, but he smiled. Then, he felt Biana caressing his hair. All the tenseness left his body. Her touch brought him new strength.
He did the impossible, then. He moved a shaky hand towards Biana. It was a long, agonizing journey, but it was worth it when his hand clasped around Biana's.
A/N: Yayyyyyy, I updated! It sounds like I didn't update in months when in reality, it's only been a few weeks XD. I think. Oh, and I'm dedicating this chapter to people who read this far...because I feel like it. And thank you!