KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Alternate Ending: Lodestar and Beyond (part 1)

A/N: @justhereforsokeefe (among others) requested that I continue the AE storyline of Sophie and Keefe secretly dating while he's with the Neverseen. Previous chapters are the AEs for Neverseen 77-78, Lodestar 2 and Lodestar 38. This will be told in two parts.

Also—thank you all for your input on how I should move forward! I've decided to just open a second collection just like this one and just keep going. That'll begin next week since I only have two more spaces available in this collection.

"There you are," a choked voice said, and Sophie slowly forced herself back to consciousness.

It hurt to focus through all the grit and dust crudding up her poor, dry eyes. But after a few seconds the world sharpened and she found a beautiful blond boy leaning over her.

Keefe's smile was somehow both breathtaking and heartbreaking, but it faded as he stroked her cheek and whispered, "When you and Edaline weren't with the survivors..."

"Edaline!" Sophie gasped, and blood flooded her brain as she sat up too quickly. She breathed through the head rush, searching the clearing until...

"She looks okay," Keefe said, squatting beside Edaline and using his dirty tunic to wipe some red off her bruised cheek. Edaline stirred at the touch, but not enough to wake up, and Sophie decided to let her sleep.

"Did everyone else make it out?" she whispered.

"Um . . . I know Councillor Terik's hurt pretty bad. I guess he might lose part of his leg—or maybe he lost it already? I couldn't tell. I saw the blood and I bolted so I wouldn't hurl all over everybody. But Elwin was working on him, so hopefully he'll be okay. Physic's here too. Most of the injuries looked pretty minor—just cuts and scratches. Broken bones. Nothing life threatening. Though I heard a lot of the goblins were down in the dungeon when it happened, and so far none of them have come back out."

Sophie shuddered.

The motion made her cough—she was pretty sure she'd be coughing up lumenite forever—and Keefe scooted closer, patting her back until the fit calmed.

She leaned against him, soaking up his warmth. "How bad do I look?"

"You could never look bad. But, um . . ." He brushed a finger across her forehead and showed her the red. "Want me to take you to Elwin?"

"No, not yet," she told him. "There are others who need him more than I do. I just...want to sit here with you for a while."

Keefe's smile was softer but also sadder than usual as he put an arm around her, holding her closer. "I'm so sorry, Sophie," he whispered. "You could have died in there and it would have been all my fault."

"Um, I don't see how it would be your fault," Sophie argued. "You didn't do that." She pointed to the crumbled castle.

"No, but I have been living with the people who did, and I didn't even know they were planning it." His handsome face was set in an uncharacteristic scowl.

"Hey," Sophie murmured, turning to face him. "Don't blame yourself. We were all fooled. And I'm okay. I'm right here. In fact..." she smiled. "If I recall, you said you had a big kiss waiting for me the next time you saw me, and so far--nothing. What, is the blood-and-lumenite-dust look just not working for me?"

The comment felt foreign, way more openly flirty than she was used to, but she hoped it would shake Keefe out of his dour mood. And it seemed to work, because Keefe rolled his eyes, a ghost of a smirk crossing his features.

"You'd look good in anything," he told her adamantly. Then he reached out, carefully cradling her face in his hands, and kissed her.

Something in Sophie seemed to relax as they shared this kiss. Keefe was home now. No more having to reach out telepathically to check on him, worrying what he'd gotten himself into, missing him. Now that he was home, they could really be together.