KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Alternate Ending: Lodestar 2

A/N: Okay, go with me on this one: when I reread Lodestar recently, I found myself wondering how this first encounter would go if my alternate ending from the end of Neverseen had happened. To recap, Keefe kissed Sophie outside the Sanctuary before accidentally bringing her along with him as he went to join the Neverseen--increasing her feeling of betrayal and opening up all of her *feelings* for Keefe. So this chapter is an alternate ending to Lodestar chapter 2, but also a continuation of that alternate ending in Neverseen 77-78.

"Don't come any closer. I've been practicing inflicting. A lot." One hand moved to her stomach, rubbing the knot of emotions lodged under her ribs. Bronte was teaching her to tie them away, ready to unravel whenever she needed a burst of furious power.

Keefe's smile faded. "Are you afraid of me?"

"You're the Empath."

The words hung there for several seconds, turning heavier and heavier.

Keefe sank back into his chair. "Wow...I didn't expect that."

"What did you expect? You ran off with the Neverseen! You realize those are the people trying to kill me, right? The same people who killed Kenric and Jolie, and almost killed all the gnomes, and--"

"I know," Keefe said. "But you know me, Foster."

"I thought I did."

Sophie's mind flashed to the last time she'd seen him.

He'd kissed her.

And then he'd betrayed her.

And all she'd been able to think about since he'd left was that she didn't know what to think.

She couldn't hate him. Especially now. After she'd made it back home, and pretended her tears and grief were nothing more than the sting of being betrayed by a friend, she'd crawled into bed and replayed the whole thing over and over in her head.

She'd remember the way he kissed her and her heart would flutter all over again.

But then she would remember what he'd done right after that, and she'd be angry.

She kept thinking back on their time in Alluveterre, and how much closer they'd gotten, and how she realized now that she'd been slowly falling for him. She just...hadn't realized it until he kissed her.

And it made her crush on Fitz extra confusing too.

Keefe was watching her cautiously, and she wondered if he knew what she was thinking about.

She also wondered if he was remembering it, too.

He got up and began slowly moving closer to her. "You do know me. I'm exactly who I've always been—especially with you." He took another careful step forward. "I'm really sorry about that day. You weren't supposed to come with me. I never would have intentionally put you in danger like that."

"Then why go at all?"

And why kiss her first?

"I have to end this, Sophie. And I'm the perfect guy to do it because thanks to my mom, they've been expecting this. They've been waiting for me to join them."

The next words she needed to say were clear. She needed to tell him it was a bad idea. Beg him not to go back. But the words she heard herself saying were completely different.

"Then why did you kiss me?"

Keefe took another step closer, smiling softly. "Isn't it obvious?"

She shook her head. "Not really, no. You have no idea what I've been going through these last few weeks."