A/N: No A/N :))
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Keefe
The next six hours were the longest of Keefe's life.
He didn't care that he was covered in Sophie's blood, didn't even bother to go wash up or rest despite everyone's urges.
An hour into the surgery, and he was cursing. At Fintan, at his mom, at the whole Neverseen and at himself.
At the second hour, everyone else had arrived, taken a look at the blood covering him, then freaked out.
The third hour, he was pacing.
Fourth hour, they had to call another physician named Elwin in.
Fifth hour he was ready to start grovelling at the Forklenator's feet to let him go murder Fintan.
The final hour, the two physicians came out covered in blood.
Then took one look at him, and Physic said, and he quoted, "I'll let you in to see her, provided you get your pathetic ass cleaned up. We can't afford to get her wound infected."
That meant Sophie was alive then.
So Keefe gladly obliged. And he couldn't clean up fast enough.
Physic glanced at him, her blue eyes softening. "She's fine. We're lucky it missed all her vital organs, but she lost a lot of blood, and I'm having her sedated for at least a week."
He swallowed, but nodded.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Sophie's breathing was shallow enough that they needed a machine to monitor it.
That wasn't a good sign, seeing as the Black Swan hated using anything unnatural when it came to medical stuff.
But she was alive.
Unconscious, but alive.
She was pale, her hand cold when he held it.
"I'm sorry, Foster," Keefe whispered, kissing her knuckles.
He ran a thumb down her face from between her eyes to her lips.
He brushed away a strand of hair from her eyes. "I swear on my life. I won't let you get hurt again."
So he stayed by her bedside, leaving only when he was dragged out of the room.
And then, only then, when Sophie's eyes fluttered. Just once, a little more than week later, did he actually smile.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
10 days later...
"I'm not immobile," Sophie scowled.
"You're wounded and on bedrest, so be good," Keefe chided.
"You're overprotective."
"That's what I do. You've been out for almost two weeks, can you blame me?"
Sophie groaned, and leaned backwards. Then sucked in a sharp breath when her hand shot to her abdomen, which was still covered in bandages.
She winced tightly.
"Idiot," Keefe hissed, taking her other hand. "I told you not to move."
"You win," she threw a him a lazy smile. "For now."
"You never accept defeat, do you?"
"Hey, I've experienced worse, you know."
"Much, much worse, I bet," Keefe rolled his eyes. "Have you always been this stubborn?"
"Just ask Biana," Sophie grinned.
"I pity the poor girl already."
"I was on pain meds at that time, you can't blame me."
He gave her an incredulous look and kissed her.
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3 months later...
"You need time to regain your strength, Foster, you can't expect to heal and be perfectly pro and awesome again."
Sophie stuck her tongue out at Keefe and threw down her dagger. "I expect what I want to expect."
"You know, sometimes, I really wonder how the Black Swan puts up with you," he smiled, shaking his head exasperatedly.
"The same way you do," she smiled innocently. "And besides, that's my line, and you're way more annoying."
"Whatever you say, milady," Keefe chuckled.
Sophie threw a towel at him. "Go wash up."
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
When Keefe stepped out of the shower, he felt a familiar buzzing in his pocket.
Shit.
That was his Imparter.
He cringed, doing a quick check to make sure that there was no one else around before answering the call.
"What? You haven't bothered to contact me for like, 3 months."
"Is that how you greet your mother?" Lady Gisela clicked her tongue.
"I greet whoever I wish, however I wish."
She rolled her eyes. "How's the Moonlark faring after that stab I gave Fintan permission to give?"
Keefe's blood boiled. But he controlled his expression and managed to change it to a bored, disinterested look. "That was dangerous. Fintan could have been caught, and now the Black Swan knows we're on to them. Besides, why care now of all times? You haven't cared for like a quarter of a year."
"Are you sure there's no other reason?" His mother purred, ignoring his last two questions. "I wouldn't want you to get distracted from your mission."
"No other reason, thank you," he grit his teeth.
"You've grown fond of the Moonlark, haven't you?"
"What makes you think that?"
"Oh?" The ever so cunning leader of the Neverseen raised an eyebrow. "You're just as bad at lying as your father is."
"And you're as bad at interpreting how I feel as he is," Keefe replied dryly.
"Careful, my son," she warned. "You wouldn't want any... Accidents happening, do you? I can do far worse than just a stab to the gut."
"You don't touch her, and I'll do whatever you want, got it?" He fumed silently.
"And what if I want you to come back?"
Keefe stayed silent for a moment. "I'll think about it."
Lady Gisela gave a smug smile. "You have 2 days, Keefe. Two days to come back, or the Moonlark's life will be in danger. Consider wisely."
Then she clicked off.
He cursed, resisting the urge to fling his Imparter to the ground.
"Tell me you're not going to do it," a quiet, trembling voice said.
Keefe turned.
Sophie stood half frozen, half shaking in the doorway.
"Tell me you're not going to go back," she pleaded softly, then began shaking her head. "Please."
She looked so close to tears, he couldn't stand it.
"No," Keefe said, quickly wrapping his arms around her. "No."
"I don't care about me," Sophie breathed. "Keefe- Going back is suicide."
"I swore to keep you safe, so I'm staying," but he knew, when his mom set her mind to something, nothing. Absolutely nothing, could stop her from doing it.
"Promise me," she begged. "Promise me you're not going back to them. That you're not leaving me."
"I promise. Okay? I promise."
"Swear it."
"I swear, I swear," he pressed his lips to her forehead.
Only then did Sophie relax, slightly sniffling.
But what she didn't know, was that Keefe was crossing his fingers behind her back as he swore it.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Keefe glanced down at the blonde figure sleeping beside him.
When Sophie knocked on his door a couple minutes after he lay down in bed, claiming that she couldn't sleep, he knew it was more than that.
She was smart. Too smart for her own good.
Even after he'd 'sworn' to her that he wouldn't leave, she knew he couldn't bear leaving her so literally.
Keefe sighed, tenderly stroking Sophie's hair.
She didn't even stir. Which proved a lot, since they were both trained to be light sleepers so that they could wake up at the sense of danger.
Proved that she felt safe enough to fall into deep sleep beside him.
And as much as it pained him to leave her, he had to do it.
Keefe placed a soft kiss on Sophie's head.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
He carefully slid out of bed, then quickly changed into black attire complete with black boots and a cloak.
And...
The standard Neverseen armband, as much as he loathed it.
Keefe strapped on a couple of daggers, along with his sword.
He looked at Sophie, memorising every detail of her. Her high cheekbones, her smile, her face.
It could be the last time he saw her.
Either, one of them might die, (hopefully him though) or Sophie would never forgive him again.
He scribbled down a quick note.
Then kissed her again, on the temple.
"I love you," he whispered into her skin.
And slipped out of the window, stealthily climbing down.
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Sophie
When Sophie woke up the next morning, Keefe wasn't in bed.
In fact, the spot he lay at was cold enough to suggest that he hadn't been for a long time.
She wouldn't have worried. If not for the fact that she still couldn't find him after she'd washed up.
Weird.
That was when Sophie saw a note on the table.
Shitshitshitshit.
No...
She prayed it didn't say what she thought it would say.
Prayed that it had nothing to do with the conversation she overheard yesterday.
Soph...
I'm sorry.
Look, I know I swore I'd stay... But I also swore to protect you. Keep you safe, at any cost.
Even my own life.
You mean the world to me, I just want you to stay alive, okay?
As you've probably guessed, yeah, I went back to my mom.
I'm sorry.
Please don't try to come after me or anything, you're better off with someone who's not the son of your enemy.
Be careful, I don't know if my mom will keep her word on not hurting you.
Just... Listen to Agent Forkle, stick with the Cygnets, and be careful.
I love you.
Keefe
"No," Sophie shook her head and reread the note. "No."
He couldn't possibly-
She leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, shaking.
"You promised," she whispered, clutching the note as tears streamed down her cheeks. "You promised."
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A/N: DuNdUnDun
Same question, on a scale of one to ten, how much do you want to kill me now?
Well at least no one's dead. :))
Alright, QOTC:
I'm nearing the end of the book now (no I'm not, I have at least 5 more chapters left), and I just wanna get some ideas...
What code name would you give Sokeefe's kids?
I already plan to let them have 3 kids (SPOILER ALERT), and two of which's code names would be Agent Lodelark and Agent Moonstar...
Cute, right?
What code name do you want to give the third?
Appreciate the ideas, thanks!!
Word count: 1523
~Alison_5201314
;))