KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Flashback 19 (Keefe POV)

The moment he got to school the next day, Keefe marched to the Healing Center, hoping they could get started searching his memories.

He wasn't looking forward to it, but knew it needed to be done, and he just wanted it over with.

As he walked in, he saw that Magnate Leto was in there. He heard Leto saying something about making arrangements.

"Arrangements for what?" Keefe asked as he approached them.

Ro was hoping for something gross and oozy.

Keefe stopped at the foot of their cots, hands on his hips as he studied first Fitz, who looked comfortable and confident, then Foster, who looked—and felt—apprehensive and uncertain. "What arrangements is Leto making, and why does the Fitzster look way more excited about it than you do?"

She looked like she wasn't sure she was allowed to tell him, but still launched into an explanation right away.

He loved how she had finally learned to just share things with him before he pestered her about them.

Just the anticipation of him slowly wearing her down was enough to keep her from fighting it.

What he didn't love was what she told him.

How could they have agreed to this?

And how could Fintan have the audacity to ask?

And why was Leto allowing it?

Bad idea. Really bad idea on an epic scale.

Don't do it.

He told them they'd be wasting their time, and Fitz countered by asking if Keefe would have turned down a meeting with his mom.

Because Keefe was who they needed to use as a guiding line, a measurement by which they determined whether or not they were making good decisions?

Foster tried to change the subject by asking how things had gone with his dad yesterday.

Ugh.

Yesterday.

Why was his dad so capable of making him feel so...small?

Everywhere else, he knew, he had a big personality. He was a force to be reckoned with.

But around his dad?

He just...withered.

A defense mechanism, he knew that.

That day, years ago, when his dad tore up one of his journals with all of his drawings—something in him had broken.

Sometimes he still had fight in him, but sometimes it was easier to just acquiesce to whatever his dad told him.

But he was also learning to claw his way back.

So he may have submitted to his dad's demand that they train together, but he was going to make it as miserable for his dad as possible.

So that part, at least, would be fun.

But he couldn't help but remember how Alden had been able to work with Fitz on his Telepathy and how it'd been a good bonding experience for them both.

And Della and Biana did the same.

Sometimes he was reminded how unfair life could be.

But oh well.

It was ooze time.

When Elwin asked who wanted to go first. Keefe volunteered Foster before either of them could say a word.