A/N) … Welp, so much for that promise of updating quickly. Heh.. heh.. Well then! Three reviews was all I got for the last chapter but that's okay! At the updating rate that I'm going, I don't deserve more than that. So answers!

L: Aww, okay. You should totally watch it! It was so good! And it's not that long, either, compared to a few other stuff. Ah, that's right, you're a Diana shipper, but the fact that it was still good to you was enough for me! Ah, thank you, I hope Shannon uses that idea, but that would most likely mean Tam wouldn't be saved until the end. And i can't bare to have the Keeper books without my baby! You're the only one who voted, so we're doing the Sophitz thing! I don't really ship Dex and Linh that much, so it would be boring on my part. Thanks for your review!

PoptartsandBooks: Love your username! Thank you so so much! I'm ship neutral too, so these weren't too hard to do. And thank you for respecting the decision, I really appreciate it. Glad you like them! After like two months (heh, whoops), I've returned! Yay! AHHHHHH YES DAZEL! Crap, I need to update that story too.. Thank you so much!

Guest: Hiya! Thank you so much, I didn't expect it to be the type of story you would cry over, but it's a compliment just the same. Thank you!

While there were only three reviews, I enjoyed them thoroughly. And, there were reviews from other chapters that I received over my absence, so thank you all for your support and love! This series is coming to an end, which I will elaborate on in the Author's Note at the end of the chapter, so please read it, because it will require your participation!

So, without further adieu, the next ship!

Bonus Chapter: Elane and Rowan

"Where is he?" Elane asked me for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"I don't know, why don't you hail him?" I told her, my eyes glancing across the cafeteria to my little brother's table. His amber cape flew behind him as he posed heroically, one of his Guster friends casting a breeze on him. I rolled my eyes and caught the last words of Elane's ramble.

"-want to seem desperate!" She buried her pretty face in her hands, acting like some hopeless romantic, when I knew very well that she and Rowan were officially hopefuls. They were just waiting for their Matchmaker scrolls, which should be due any day now. Sweet, isn't it? A teen romance that could actually last a lifetime. At least, that's what Elane constantly thinks. I'm just here to keep her in check; I am her best friend, after all.

She suddenly gasped, grabbing my arm and looking at me wildly. "Tessa! What if he's hurt? What if he had to go to the Healing Center? What if-"

I'd had enough. "Oh, for goodness' sake, JUST HAIL HIM!" The cafeteria went silent for a few moments at my outburst, and both Elane's and my face burned as red as our uniforms. The other students quickly went back to their business, but I stood, seeing that it was obvious Elane wouldn't hail her boyfriend.

"I'll just go find him," I grumbled, grabbing my tray and turning on my heel.

"Oh, really, Tess? Thank you so much!" Elane called. I got out of there quickly enough to avoid her bone-crushing hugs, throwing out my leftovers and walking briskly down to the Level Six halls, grumbling incoherent sentences into the air. Just because I was her best friend (and cousin, for that matter) didn't mean I hid how much of a hassle I thought she could be. I beelined towards Rowan's locker, knowing that, if anywhere, I should start there. My ears perked up at the sound of voices-Rowan's and some other I couldn't recognize. But it sounded female.

I vanished, the ability coming from my mother, and stalked down the rest of the way, turning the corner and seeing some blonde tryhard giggling and playfully shoving Rowan's shoulder. At a glance, it looked like he was having a good time too, but I could tell he was uncomfortable. Yet, as I got closer, I couldn't understand why what happened next happened.

"I'll see you tonight then?" The blonde troll (she was actually an elf, but whatever) asked flirtatiously, twisting an end of her hair.

"Yeah, of course," he answered, much to my surprise. What was he seeing her tonight for? He wasn't . . . was he?

My suspicions were confirmed as I watched the blonde girl tap her cheek with her index finger, leaning ever-so-slightly closer to Rowan. He rolled his eyes, but leaned down and pecked her cheek.

"There, happy?"

"Very," she giggled, turning on her heel and prancing down the hall, calling over her shoulder, "see you tonight!" Rowan sighed and opened his locker, fishing around inside for something as I crept over to his side. I reappeared the moment he slammed his locker door shut, a scowl clear on my face.

"What was that?!" I growled.

He jumped, obviously surprised, but he quickly took in the situation he was in once he saw how tightly my arms were crossed over my chest.

"R-Red!" He stuttered, the nickname given as soon as we met because of my hair. It was technically strawberry blonde-thanks to my dad-but that wasn't important right now. His hand quickly flew behind his back, concealing whatever he was holding from my vision. But I wasn't concerned about that. What I was concerned about was why the hell I just saw my best friend's hopeful kiss some blonde troll! "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that," I growled. "If I just saw what I think I saw, you are in big trouble."

"Wait, what?" He blinked twice, his eyes widening in a flash. "Oh, no no no, you-" he chuckled, shaking his mess of blond hair, "this is a misunderstanding."

"It'd better be."

"I promise, it is. Just, let me explain . . ." He hesitated for a moment, and I thought that he might be trying to make something up, but then he showed me what he had been hiding behind his back. Two shiny, gold scroll-holders with a velvet crimson ribbon tied around the middle were held tightly in his hand. He cautiously handed one of them to me to observe, seemingly waiting for the thought to cross my mind.

My jaw fell slack as I realized, "Are these your . . . your scrolls?" The last word I hissed out in a surprised whisper, feeling all kinds of excited for my friend, though, I couldn't help but question why he had both of them.

You see, Foxfire offers up the pamphlets containing all the questions necessary to get your scrolls. From there, they send them straight to the offices for you, and after months and months of waiting, the results arrive straight to the principal's and he lets you know (discreetly, of course) that your scroll has arrived. But that's only if you apply for the Matchmaker's scrolls here. At any other location, the results would arrive at the applicant's house.

Rowan nodded sheepishly. "I know what you're thinking. But I specifically asked Magnate Leto for permission to hold both scrolls."

"And the old man just let you have 'em, just like that?" I was more than doubtful. And though it seemed disrespectful, the only reason I called Magnate Leto old man was because he had been my parents', and all my friends' parents' principal since they've been to Foxfire, so . . .

"Well, only after I explained," he answered. "Believe me, I didn't take Elane's because I wanted to see the results first. I . . . haven't even opened mine yet." The hand that I assumed held his shook slightly as he held it in a white-knuckle grip. I looked up at his face, seeing a mixture of joy, nervousness, and anticipation etched into his deep, ocean blue eyes. To think that he actually cared this much about Elane made my heart lurch. It was . . . surprisingly sweet.

He let out a sigh. "I'm going to surprise her. Tonight. I want this to be special for her, even if . . . even if my name isn't on her scroll, and hers isn't on mine, I want her first opening to be special. I want it to be with me." He wouldn't look right at me, his cheeks growing pink. I'd never seen him so vulnerable before. "And if my name isn't on that . . . that dumb piece of paper," he said, looking at the scroll in my hand, "then I'll just tell her I still care about her, and that I will for as long as I can. That as long as I'm breathing and can remember her face, her eyes, her-"

"Okay, okay, okay," I interrupted, having way too much gushiness thrown indirectly at me for me to handle. "Save the Speech of Eternal Love for the actual girl of the hour, will ya?" He glanced at me for a second before hastily nodding and reaching for Elane's scroll, but I jerked my hand away from him, turning it invisible along with my hand, a trick that most Vanishers wouldn't be able to do. "Buh-buh-bup. That still doesn't explain why you had to kiss that blonde troll that I just saw a few minutes ago."

"Wow, I knew you were mean, but not that mean," Rowan teased. "You probably didn't recognize her, but that was Cindy Jepert, the Head of the Decoration Committee here at Foxfire for our school dances and such. I asked her for help with planning the surprise for Elane, but of course she got jealous and was like, 'well, what's in it for me?' And I told her, 'I dunno, what do you want?'" I rolled my eyes at his stupidity. He should have known by now that almost every girl at Foxfire (even some of the guys) thought that he was one of the most attractive and popular elves at Foxfire, so asking one of them what they "wanted" was a bad idea.

"Okay, yeah, I know, it was a dumb thing to ask," he said as soon as he saw my reaction, "but I couldn't help it. I needed her help. So she said first a date, which I said no to, obviously. And then she was like, 'okay, then a kiss.' And she puckered up her lips, and I'm like, 'no way.' So we finally settled for a peck on the cheek after she finalized everything, which is what you just saw right now, you sneaky little prick."

I shrugged off the last part and handed him Elane's scroll. I had to admit, though, I was kind of curious as to what was inside. But I settled for waiting for Elane to tell me everything.

…

"-and wear something nice."

It was the last thing Rowan said before hanging up. I looked down at the sleek silver square, confused at what he had just told me. I lay on my stomach on top of my bed, replaying our conversation in my head.

"He said to meet him at sundown by Lake Passion Blossom, which is one of the nicest lakes around," I thought aloud. "He said it was a surprise, and to wear something nice. But . . . how nice? And what could the surprise be? And why today?" I buried my head in my pillow, letting out a frustrated grunt.

Three raps on my bedroom door caused me to sit up. "Come in," I called through a clenched jaw. My mother's blonde head peeked inside.

"Elane? Was that sound I heard just now you?" She asked, stepping cautiously inside.

"Yeah." I looked away, hastily tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Oh. Is . . . everything alright?" She quietly shut the door behind her, and I could already see where this was going.

"Mooooom," I rolled my eyes and fell back, covering my head with the pillow. "I'm fine," I told her, my voice muffled.

She was quiet for several seconds before I heard footsteps walking towards the door. "Okay, if you say so." The door opened and shut, and then there was nothing but silence. The fact that she let the matter go so quickly didn't really seem like something a typical mother would do, but I suppose it's expected, seeing as how my mom wasn't a typical elf. She was mega awesome and had made her and her friends' names inside our history books!

I just couldn't help but wonder why I wished she had tried a little harder to get the problem out of me. I mean, she and dad knew about Rowan. They knew we were hopefuls, so I guess I might have been willing to tell her something. But I suppose it didn't matter now . . .

I sat up once more, the pillow falling off my face. The sight of my mother leaning casually against the door caused a yelp to escape my mouth.

"MOM, WHAT THE HELL?!" I screamed, clearly frightened.

"Language," she simply replied.

"I thought you left!" I told her. "What are you-what do you want . . . ?" Then it hit me. "Wait." I grabbed my head, my palms covering my temples. "Mom, were you reading my mind?! That's so rude! You're violating elvin law!"

"I don't think it matters if I've saved the world seven times," she told me, walking towards the edge of my bed. "And I don't think the Council could stand hosting another tribunal in my honor. Not to mention the fact that I am your mother." She sat down, clearly making herself at home. "Now, what is this I understand about Rowan?"

"The only reason you know is because you invaded my privacy," I grumbled. "That should make me even less willing to speak to you. But . . ." I looked at her, patiently waiting for me to trust her. I saw the genuine concern in her chocolate brown eyes that were the same as my own. I let out a sigh. "Rowan told me to meet him at Lake Passion Blossom at sundown for a surprise, but . . . I don't know what it is. He said to dress nicely, too, which has got me curious." An angry breath escaped my lips. "Why are boys like this?"

"I think you should be happy about this," my mother told me, which surprised me. I gave her a questioning look. "I mean, to be honest, you have it pretty easy. When I first met your father, it wasn't until, let me see, I believe it was three years later until I told him how I felt. And that was after he told me first. You, however, were more confident than I was, and even then, Rowan was bold enough to say something to you less than a month later." I supposed that was true. "And, yes, I understand that you're father and I gave you an age limit to when you could be hopefuls, but that didn't really stop you, now did it?" She raised an eyebrow, causing me to look away.

"It's not like we did anything wrong," I defended, which was entirely true. Until my mother reminded me, "Disobeying your parents is wrong, Elane."

"Right, sorry. But, what am I supposed to do about tonight?" I asked her, drawing us back to why we were talking like this in the first place.

"I think . . ." She paused for a moment to think, seemingly reminiscing back to her days as a teenager in love. "You should go and enjoy tonight and just trust Rowan. He's a nice boy."

"Well, I know that, but-" I sighed, conceding to what she was saying. "I guess. What should I wear?"

My mom let out a laugh, standing quickly from the bed. "Yeah, I am not the person to talk to for that. If anything, call your Auntie B." I understood that. My mother was never the person to talk to when it came to dressing up. Ever since she was young, she dressed simple. But, elvin dresses were never simple, per se.

I picked up my Imparter and quickly mumbled Biana's name, wanting to get ready for the night that I didn't know would change my life.

…

I nervously paced back and forth on the shore of the lake, quickly creating a grove in the blush-colored sand. More than three times in the past minute had I leaned down and checked my pockets that ran down the sides of my calves, making sure the scrolls were there. Three minutes. Three minutes until the big reveal. Three minutes until we finally find out if we truly belonged together.

"Wait, no," I told myself, stopping in my tracks. "Even if our names aren't there, that doesn't mean we weren't meant for each other. I just know that we are. Man, I sound so love-sick right now." I shook my head, my unruly blond locks falling in front of my eyes. I ran a hand down my face, a gentle breeze calming my nerves ever-so-slightly. When I looked up again in front of me, I was completely taken aback by what I saw.

I knew Elane was beautiful-gorgeous, even, but with the subtlest touches and alters, if was like she was some sort of shining gem. The upper half of her wavy dark hair was braided back, the rest of it hanging down loosely by her bare shoulders. Her dress was a deep, cranberry red, the straps coming elegantly off her shoulders. Intricate golden designs decorated her skirt, which flowed to her calves and had a slight train behind her. I couldn't help but smile at her golden boots that disappeared beneath her skirt, presumably going up to her knees. No matter what the occasion, she always wore boots, constantly protesting against heels.

I straightened my jerkin and ran a hand through my hair, making my way over to her. "Well, hello there." As I got closer, I silently admired the way the rays of the setting sun highlighted her hair and caused the golden flecks in her irises to glimmer. She appeared to have on mascara that had golden glitter in it, which also complimented her eyes. Honestly, it was her eyes that captivated me the most, no matter where we were. We could have been on top of Mount Everest for all I cared, and I would still be lost in her eyes.

Her cheeks became slightly more pink than they already were, the color subtle and adorable.

"You look . . ." I was at a loss for words. "Amazing. No, more than that." I cupped her chin. "Stunning." I leaned down and pressed my lips against her soft, plump ones, seemingly melting into them. It was short and sweet, but it was enough for me to lick some of her strawberry gloss off of my own lips-not that I was complaining.

She hummed, her eyes fluttering open. "You don't look so bad yourself," she teased, her dark eyes trailing down my body. I made sure to bring her eyes back up before she could look too closely at the pockets.

"So," I began, but she asked a question of her own.

"What are we doing here?"

I blinked twice before giving her a smirk. "I would make you wait, but, to be honest, I can't wait myself." That seemed to trigger her curiosity even further. She gave me a small smile and asked me to tell her what it is, but before I reached into my pockets, I wanted to make sure to get something across to her.

"Elane," I said quietly, my expression falling and ending her playful attitude. "I just want you to know that . . . no matter what happens, no matter what you see, I'll always, always care about you. I always want to be there for you. I want you to trust me. I . . . I want you."

A crease formed between her brows as the corners of her pink lips turned slightly upwards. "Rowan, where is all this coming from? Not that I don't mind, but-" I cut her off with a kiss, catching her off guard for a moment before I broke away and quickly took the scroll holders out of my pockets. Right on cue, the sun disappeared behind the farthest grassy hill, causing the lights that Cindy had helped me weave into the trees' crowns light up. The sudden change in scenery distracted Elane for a second, delight and awe clearly written on her beautiful face. I sent a mental command to the previously-planted flames around the lake and they flickered around us. It took a lot of work to get the small, golden flames to get in the right places before, but I was honestly just happy that they were there. Elane's lips parted, forming a small o as she admired the decorations around her.

"Rowan, what is all this? It's so beautiful . . ." Her eyes landed on the scrolls in my hand, widening as she realized what they were. "Oh my word, are those . . . ?" I nodded, handing her hers.

"They . . . they're here? They're here! Oh, Rowan, was all of this for me-for, for us?" I could practically see her heart melting. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders, embracing me tightly even before opening her scroll. The warmth of her body calmed me down a bit, and I let out a breath as she pulled back. She stared down at the golden scroll holder in her hand, twirling the end of the crimson ribbon with her finger.

"So then . . . everything you were saying before . . . ?"

"I meant every word," I assured her softly. We stood there, the golden light casting elegant shadows upon us as we prepared ourselves for what awaited us on the paper. She took in a breath and looked up at me, her eyes so full of emotion that it caused me to catch my breath.

"Then I mean it too. I don't want us to ever be apart, no matter what this scroll says, okay?" She told me. I smiled-not a smirk, a genuine smile. Those words were just what I needed to hear before we opened these scrolls.

Together, we pulled the ribbons loose and shook the crisp paper out of the golden holders.

"One . . ."

"Two . . ."

"Three."

We could barely here the paper unrolling, or the wind rustling the leaves gently around us. We simply looked at the scrolls in our hands, switched, gazed up at each other, and smiled.

After placing the scrolls back in the holders and tying the ribbons up neatly, I took her hand, intertwining our fingers together as we walked across the sand to the edge of the water.

With one last glance at each other, we tossed the scrolls into the glistening blue water.

A/N) Yeah, so I'm pulling a "The Lady or the Tiger" on y'all. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I'm basically just making you guys decide how it ends in your heads. Were their names on the scrolls, but they didn't care because they had always known they were meant for each other, and suddenly decided to throw the scrolls into the lake symbolically? Or were their names not there, and they chose to ignore it because in their hearts they knew they were meant for each other?

This is a lot of mushiness for me, but I guess I'm kind of in the mood because one of best friends decided to get a girlfriend this past weekend. WITHOUT ME BEING THERE, MIGHT I ADD. *grumbles his name and other incoherent sentences* Also, I totally called it, just saying. But then again, so did a lot of other people. Ah, well, it doesn't really matter. Sorry for ranting.

Anyway, this was the last chapter before the FINAL CHAPTER of this series, and that's going to be the anniversary picnic that I introduced you all to in the Sophie and Keefe Foster chapter, centering around all the families as a finale. BUT I need your help! If any of you haven't reviewed on this story at all but have read nearly every chapter, now is the time to review! Of the ships that you have seen in this part of the series where the gang is all grown up, which families do you want to see? Here are your options:

1. Keefe and Sophie Foster

Fitz and Linh Vacker

Dex and Biana Vacker

(Tammy is all alone, unless you want him to date Marella or something)

2. Fitz and Sophie Vacker

Dex and Biana Vacker

Linh and Wylie Endal

(Tam and Keefe would be all alone, unless I give Tam Marella or suddenly decide to make them gay, which I probably won't but just saying)

3. Keefe and Sophie Foster

Fitz and Linh Vacker

Tam and Biana Vacker

Dex (and maybe Marella)

So, I know that they are kind of limited options, but it's the only way that it could make sense in the last chapter. I really need at least five reviews selecting one of these options in order to make this vote fair, so in your review, please select option 1, option 2, or option 3. Thank you for your cooperation!

BYEEEEEE!