KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Alternate Ending: Lodestar 80

Fitz had asked who the "her" was, but Sophie had been too focused on trying to convince Keefe to come back with them.

But then, the way Keefe had looked at her as he said he knew what mattered...

His betrayal mere seconds after saying that had caused her to shove that down and not think about it.

She had not allowed herself to think about the intensity of his gaze. Of the way everything else had seemed to slip into the background as her heart fluttered.

She had definitely not permitted herself to think of how heartbroken she'd been when he'd left them that day, or what the implications were of how she'd seemed to hate him...and yet had been so thoroughly incapable of truly hating him.

But now?

She did finally pull away, but stayed close as she looked at Keefe--who was watching her with a curious but guarded expression in his eyes. "And you're okay?" She asked him. "With your mom missing, and who knows what horrible things you had to see while you were with the Neverseen..."

Keefe shuddered, though he tried to pass it off as a shrug. "I'm fine."

"It's okay not to be okay, Keefe."

He sighed and looked over at the crumbled castle, then at Edaline's sleeping figure beside them. "I just...betraying you like that was so hard...especially last time, when you begged me to come back. You'd just had to watch Brant burn me, and then you were so hurt that I wasn't coming back with you. But the only consolation I had was this overwhelming feeling of rightness. I was so convinced that I was doing the right thing, and as scary as it was to think about you guys maybe not forgiving me when I came back...it felt like I would have to run that risk for the greater good for everyone. I meant that oath I swore to the Black Swan--I really thought I was doing everything in my power to protect our world. But after this"--he pointed to what was left of Lumenaria--"I don't know, now. I thought they were starting to really trust me, but they hadn't given me any indication that a plan like that was in the works."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," she told him. "What you did was unwise, I won't pretend it wasn't, but...it was also incredibly brave. And you meant well. That counts for something." When he rolled his eyes, she reached for his hands. "No, I mean it. And look what you did--you not only came back, you came here just because I was here and you wanted to be close by in case I needed you. And I did. I do."

Keefe's lips tugged up into a smile. But then his brow furrowed. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did your emotions get crazy intense when you took my hands? I mean, I can always read your emotions even without contact, and then they get clearer with contact, but this...it's never been this intense."

"Oh," Sophie said, feeling embarrassed as she wondered just what emotions he was picking up. "Well...I kind of manifested again. As an enhancer."

She thought he'd laugh and say 'I told you so', but instead he just let go of her hands for a moment, sitting there quietly, a look of deep concentration on his face. Then he placed a hand on her arm for a few seconds before taking her hands in his again. Then she understood that he was comparing his readings of her emotions without contact, with contact, and with enhancing. "Whoa," he murmured. "That's intense. I get a much clearer reading of your emotions when you enhance my empathy, I guess." He looked at her, leaning in slightly. "And it's very enlightening."

Her heart flipped to hummingbird mode as she looked up at him. The way Tam had spoken that day made it sound like maybe Keefe liked her--and the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like they'd been having a moment outside the Sanctuary the day they'd let the alicorns go. At least, until Grady interrupted.

But she didn't know for sure. So she didn't know if she was about to have another moment with Keefe, or if she was about to be humiliated.

But there was only one way to find out: plow forward and see what Keefe does.

She thought of her first evening in Gildingham, when she'd overheard Sandor and Grizel's big confession. She remembered the way she'd been mentally chanting kiss! but then the moment had slipped away from them. Of course, Sandor had known Sophie was there, so he'd probably saved that particular romantic moment for when they could have more privacy.

But still...Sophie didn't want this moment to slip away. So instead of trying to deny it, instead of pulling back, making light of it, maybe even shoving him away playfully, she stayed right where she was.

But she could absolutely feel a blush warming her cheeks as she looked up at him and whispered, "enlightening how?"

There.

The rest was up to him.

He was reading her emotions. He could now choose how to respond.

"I..." Keefe started. He looked hopeful. And...he was blushing too!

He recovered himself, and smiled softly at her. "Like you really missed me."

"That's because I really, really did," she agreed.

Somehow, they had both managed to lean in even closer to each other without her realizing. His face was mere inches from her own.

Sophie's heart was pounding so hard she thought he for sure could hear it. In fact, she was surprised the sound of her beating heart hadn't woken Edaline.

"I missed you too," he breathed.

And then...

He kissed her.

And it felt so right.

He finally let go of her hands so he could wrap his arms around her waist and hold her closer.

When they finally broke apart, he smiled shyly at her.

Keefe...looked shy?

Wow.

"So," he murmured, "does this mean you've forgiven me?" Then his trademark smirk returned. "Wait, that wasn't just like a 'welcome home' thing, was it?"

Sophie grinned. "No. At least...that's not all it was."

Keefe's smile turned much warmer as he replied. "Good." Then he looked around again at their surroundings and sighed.

"What?" Sophie asked him.

"Not exactly the most romantic setting," he pointed out. "Having our first kiss just outside your most recent near-death experience."

"That's okay. It just redeemed this whole horrible day in my eyes, that's all."

"Plus," he said as he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ears--lumenite dust falling out of her hair as he did so, "we'll always remember we had our first kiss while you were coated in a fine layer of lumenite. Who knows, maybe that's a good sign. Your enemies definitely can't keep you down."

She laughed. "Not if you're done pretending to be one of them."

"Are you kidding?" Keefe placed both hands on her cheeks and drew her in closer. "I'm definitely never leaving you again."

With that, he kissed her again, softly, before letting out a big sigh. "Okay, Foster. As much as I don't want this moment to end, I think we should wake Edaline, and go let Elwin check you both over really well. Plus we can find out the final count--make sure everyone made it out okay."

Sophie knew they had a few things they needed to talk about, but he was right--it was time to face all the hardships ahead of them. The Neverseen had just changed the game--and the world as they knew it. So she turned her attention to Edaline so they could join the others.

But nothing could have prepared them for the news that Elwin gave them.

Oralie and Mr. Forkle were both missing.