KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Neverseen 57 (Keefe POV)

Keefe had been surprised when Mr. Forkle wanted his help with Foster and Fitz's Cognate training.

It was better than reading boring books--especially when those books sometimes ended up being written by his dad--but he had serious misgivings about doing anything that helped bring Foster and Fitz any closer together.

That definitely pushed things in a direction he didn't really want them to go.

Watching them sit and stare into each other's eyes while doing telepathic trust exercises was...a very, very hard thing. Especially since he could feel her emotions every step of the way.

But Keefe also appreciated Mr. Forkle's obvious respect of his talent as an Empath, and it was kind of fun to watch Mr. Forkle mess with them both.

But he sure wished he knew what Forkle transmitted to Fitz to cause him to suddenly flare up with jealousy.

And he was very glad that he wasn't the one that had to endure a large, hairy spider being placed on his leg.

He experienced a moment of vicarious triumph for his friends when they managed to break into Mr. Forkle's mind at the end of the exercises.

But then?

He felt shock from both of them for just a split second before Fitz suddenly asked in an accusatory tone why Mr. Forkle was meeting with Cassius.

With Keefe's dad.

"You've been talking to my dad?" Keefe shouted, hearing his voice echo throughout the cave.

Mr. Forkle mumbled something about not planning the exercise carefully enough before he answered. "Your father reached out to us after he found those maps in your mother's possessions--"

"Wait--those were hers?" Keefe's eyes narrowed at Sophie. She'd hidden that from him? After promising she wouldn't keep him in the dark anymore? "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I agreed to the meeting," Mr. Forkle said quickly, not giving her a chance to answer, "assuming he'd either found something else, or wanted an update on you."

"Yeah, I'm sure he's been real worried about me," Keefe muttered.

"Actually he has," Mr. Forkle promised. "And he was incredibly relieved to know you're safe."

Liar.

Keefe shook his head, not even wanting to think about that right now.  He turned back to Sophie. "I can't believe you knew about this."  He'd never been so disappointed in her.

He'd trusted her.

"Only some of it," she told him, and he could tell she was desperate for him to not be angry with her. "I didn't know they'd met up in person."

Forkle backed her up on that, and went on explaining.

Unfortunately, the news just got worse.

His dad wanted to join the Black Swan.

Sophie and Fitz joined Keefe in expressing shock and disgust at the idea.

Mr. Forkle insisted that they didn't necessarily trust his dad, but that he could potentially be useful.

Keefe made it clear that if they let his dad join, they would lose Keefe. Forkle tried to placate him, insisting that his dad wouldn't come to live at Alluveterre, but would keep his identity and his place in the Lost Cities.

Like that mattered?

"I DON'T CARE!" He shouted, unable to control his temper.

"Keefe," Sophie said softly, reaching for his hand.