KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Alternate Ending: Legacy 19

"Thanks again for the biscuits," he said as she dug out her home crystal. "And don't think I'm going to forget about the E.L. Fudges you owe me."

Sophie had no doubt she'd be hearing about them endlessly.

"I'll find a way to get you some," she promised, ignoring Sandor's protests--though those weren't as spirited as they normally were.

She wondered if that meant Sandor had already resigned himself to the fact that elf-shaped cookies were going to have to happen.

And Sophie was about to leap away when she realized she had one more thing she wanted to tell him. "Thanks for listening, Keefe. It...really helped."

Keefe's smile was slower than usual--but it lit up his whole face. "Anytime, Foster. And I meant what I said. You're not doing anything wrong. But if you change your mind and go ahead with the reset? I'll be right there to make sure you get through safe."

Sophie nodded, but before she leapt away, she suddenly heard Keefe say, "Sophie?"

She turned. He rarely used her first name. "Everything okay?"

"I'm sorry, I just...the whole time we've been sitting here I've been thinking about something. Well actually...I have wondered before. But especially lately. And then the way you...well..." Keefe frowned. "I don't know how to say this," he mumbled. He glanced toward the door Fitz and Cassius had just gone through.

Sophie sat back down and looked at him. "Just tell me," she said, confused. He'd seemed fine a second ago, but it was like suddenly another one of his masks had fallen, revealing a confused and possibly sad boy behind it.

"Actually, I want to ask you something. But please don't get mad, just...think about it for a minute before you answer. Okay?"

Sophie nodded.

Keefe took a deep breath. "Can you tell me why, when you found out you were unmatchable, you told me before telling Fitz? I know it doesn't affect me like it affects him, but you say you trust him, and yet I'm the one you came to."

Sophie was speechless. "I—" she began, not even sure what she was going to say.

"Actually, I'm not done," Keefe said quietly, almost apologetically. "I'd also like you to consider why I was the one you chose to come to today to talk about your decision to refuse the ability reset. If you wanted to be reassured and comforted, wouldn't your boyfriend be the person you'd want to go to?"

Sophie felt a strange mixture of indignation, guilt, confusion, and embarrassment as she thought about what he'd said.

"Would you rather I stop coming to you? I thought...I mean, we're friends. You're one of my closest friends. And I know you'll support me. And I already can't really hide things from you because you're an empath, so who better to confide in?"

Keefe smiled at her. "That does make sense," he told her. And he reached out and placed a hand gently over hers. "And I definitely don't want that to stop. I love that you come to me. That you trust me enough and know me well enough to know I'll be there for you. You've taken such good care of me ever since we met, so it means a lot to know that you realize you can expect the same from me. But..." he hesitated, looking again towards the door Fitz had gone through.

"But what?" He said he liked that she came to him, but he also seemed really uncomfortable and she didn't understand why.

"I just...you didn't go to your boyfriend. You didn't go to your best friend—not to Dex or Biana—but to me."

"I knew you wouldn't judge me."

"And they would?"

"Maybe."