Book Two: KOTLC One-shots and More

Legacy 28-29: part 1 (Keefe POV)

A/N: I decided to write Keefe's POV of when Sophie woke up following her ability reset in "Legacy". This will be told in two chapters.

It had been a rough few days with Sophie unconscious. But Keefe had stayed by her side, barely sleeping, because he felt it was the least he could do--and yet, thanks to his mom and the fact that he'd been sidelined for his own protection, it was also the most he could do.

When he'd finally left in order to shower and change, he came back to discover that her room wasn't quite as hot as it had been. Edaline told him they'd begun to lower the temperature in her room, and before long, it was back to normal. Elwin and Livvy had both been by, and both agreed that Foster was showing signs of waking soon. She had even begun to stir, ever so slightly, and Edaline had begun sitting vigil in Sophie's room.

Keefe wished he had a mom like Edaline.

She had taken better care of him the last few days than he'd ever experienced at home. Sophie, like Fitz and Biana, had hit the jackpot when it came to good parents.

Keefe...not so much.

Edaline had plied him with food and drink--and had even had a good heart-to-heart with him the day before--and asked about his paintings.

A moment ago, he'd finally shown her a few of them, without offering explanations as to what the different journals were. He'd mostly shown her the ones he'd made of himself and Fitz, and she had been full of compliments about his talent. He knew she meant it--she had patted him on the shoulder while saying it, and he could feel how genuine she was--and he still didn't really know how to handle people noticing and liking his artwork.

"But of course we already knew what a gifted artist you are," Edaline murmured, moving to Foster's bookshelf and looking at the paintings he'd given her the previous year. "These paintings were such a thoughtful gift." She reached out and traced a finger along the one he'd made of Sophie with Grady and Edaline.

"You three look great together," Keefe told her honestly. "Foster looks like she's always been part of your family."

"We really do," she whispered. "She has been such—" but Edaline didn't finish her thought. Sophie seemed to let out some sort of whimper and Edaline rushed to her side, ready to be there the moment she opened her eyes.

Keefe made himself stay where he was—though the sound of her voice, even pained and groggy, was the best sound he'd ever heard.

She really was going to be okay. Even though every breath, every tiny movement, caused her obvious pain.

And she seemed really happy to see her adoptive mother there waiting for her. They talked for a couple of minutes, and Keefe was not at all disappointed that Sophie had apparently no memory of Elwin giving her chest compressions.

He wished he could have that memory erased. He was pretty sure it would haunt him for years to come.

But of course, what bothered her even more than knowing that she'd had to receive chest compressions to avoid dying...

...was the fact that she'd been unconscious for three days.

"Three days?" She exclaimed in dismay. "How could I lose that much time?"

"It's called almost dying," Edaline said gently.

  "Actually, it's called 'Fostering' now," Keefe corrected, jumping into the conversation at last. He smirked at her as she scanned the room looking for him before her eyes landed on him.

There was a strange scrutiny in her eyes as she took him in, and he felt a flicker of curiosity that wasn't too hard to interpret. She had to be wondering how long he'd been there—he knew he didn't look his best—and why he'd been there. But then her mood shifted again to something more self-conscious, more embarrassed or uncomfortable.