Imagine Sophie's parents, feeling like they've filled a hole they didn't know was there, while simultaneously widening that gap, with no clue why. They try to suppress it—these feelings that shouldn't exist.

Imagine Amy, trying ever so hard to play it cool. Knowing that her parents weren't meaning to, but feeling like they've betrayed Sophie. Feeling like this new sibling was just a replacement for her. Treating them rudely because of it. The two not getting along well.

The new family member, wondering why Amy's so harsh. Wondering why the cat waits at the door every day, like there's someone who will never come home. They question their new parents, but both deny the loss of another child. They just have to shrug it off and try to join in the fun.

and it wouldn't even bother me, except that so many characters in the series were hurt — many had their lives ruined — over project moonlark. the foster family became hapless victims in a project that they STILL aren't fully aware of. their entire lives were wiped for the council's convenience, and after using them for years, the black swan did nothing while it happened. emma foster was used without her consent to carry a child the black swan fully planned on taking from her (AND THEY WERE ORIGINALLY GOING TO FAKE SOPHIE'S DEATH!!!). prentice's mind was shattered protecting sophie's location, and wylie lost his father. and don't even get me started on sophie herself.

so many people were hurt by the very existence of a project that had no good reason for playing out the way that it did. to accomplish their goal, they picked the most contrived, unethical method when there were much more reasonable, far more logical ways of getting what they wanted.

Did Amy ever get board one day and absentmindedly go to the extra bedroom in their new house like there was someone in there she could talk to. only to realize the bedroom is empty, then she wonders why she expected anyone to be there at all. because she doesn't have any siblings

did her mom ever set four plates for dinner, only to look at the table and realize there was an extra and not understand why she put four plates down in the first place.

did she lay awake at night with a feeling in her soul that she had another child, one that she didn't miscarry. one that she used to hold and laugh with, one that she had kissed goodnight. did she feel insane first laying in bed late at night, scratching her brain trying to remember who this child was, because she swears up and down the hole she felt in her chest could only be made by a missing child

did she talk to William, and tell him about it, did he agree with her, tell her that he felt the same way. that sometimes when he comes home from work he expects one more person to greet him, that he feels a pang in his chest when he sees the extra bedroom in their house acting as an office.

where they haunted by the ghost of what their family had once been? did they wonder why they all act as if theres a extra person in their family when they where acting on instinct? did they feel a tightness in their chest when they saw a stuffed elephant?

did they wonder why it felt like their there was a empty spot at the table, in the car, on the couch?

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Chapter summary:

The Fosters will keep their memories. Team Valiant will be formed. Fitz will try to pretend he never heard Alvar's message. Keefe finally burns his last bridge back to his old life.

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