KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Intelligent Species

A/N: this fits a couple of centuries after the epilogue of my main story. I have had a few requests for this, but for some reason it was really hard to write. Maybe it just didn't grab my attention, or maybe it was just thinking of the logistics, but this was actually one of the earliest requests I got and one of the first chapters I began working on in this collection--almost a year ago! --and it's just been sitting as a draft, feeling lonely while I wrote other things. I finally just had to make myself sit down and finish it.

And...that's a wrap for collection #1! I'll go ahead and publish the intro for collection #2 today to make sure everyone finds it (it should notify you if you're following me) and then publish the first actual chapter in a couple of days.

"You are, without a doubt, the sexiest Emissary the Lost Cities has ever seen."

Sophie knew Keefe was trying to distract her from the overwhelming nervous/queasy/determined-but-terrified combination of emotions he was undoubtedly picking up from her.

And the truth was, when he looked at her like that, it was really hard to think about anything else.

Especially when he slinked towards her and kissed her.

But when her hands crept into his hair, he pulled back, smirking.

"You know I love it when you play with my hair, but unless you want the entire Council to take one look at me and know what we've been up to, we should probably quit while we're ahead."

Sophie groaned. "We've been married for what, two hundred years now? And you've cracked a lot of jokes about the joys of being married. I think they can handle you showing up with slightly messier hair than usual."

"And I think I've successfully calmed you down enough that we can leave for this meeting without you throwing up on me."

"But now you've got me all distracted."

He smirked at her. "Good. We can come home after this meeting and...celebrate."

"And if it goes poorly? What if they vote against it?"

"I don't think that's going to happen. But if it does...you'll need lots of cheering up." His smirk changed into something far more seductive as he murmured, "and I know what you like."

"You know, two hundred years ago that comment would've made me quiver."

"And now?"

She held out her hand, which was trembling. "Nothing has changed," she said playfully.

"Then I'll stop torturing you," Keefe said, kissing her cheek. "Until later."

And hand in hand, they leapt to Eternalia.

Over the years, Sophie had been in conversation with Bronte about reaching out to the humans again, bringing them back as Intelligent Species. She'd started with Bronte because she knew that he, like her, wanted it to happen.

But it was taking time to win others over to their way of thinking. She tackled Oralie and Kenric next, and Terik had come around fairly easily.

But the others were taking some convincing.

They'd finally agreed to discuss it and put it to a vote, and asked her to meet with them to hear their decision.

They hadn't technically invited Keefe, who apparently didn't have clearance as a Mentor to accompany an Emissary on their tasks, but after a few decades of Sophie sometimes bringing him along anyway, they had come to expect it.

So no one said anything when he walked into the meeting by her side.

The faces of the Councillors were serious, but not at all unhappy or unkind, as Emery stood to tell her that they had achieved a majority vote.