Kotlc Oneshots!

CPS

(Keefe Pov)
Based on one of my theories
I am FEELING the Keefe Forbidden cities angst rn
Forgive me 🤭

Keefe trudged through the muddy park. It was raining, cold, and windy. He was miserable.

He attempted to pull the hood over his head as he made it to a bench to sit on. He sat on it with a squish that made him cringe.

He didn't know where else to go. He managed to get a hold of some money, but he was too afraid to speak to get a hotel room.

He used his bag as a pillow and laid down. He curled his knees into his chest as he shivered violently. When he breathed out, he could see his breath.

No matter how hard Keefe tried, he couldn't fall asleep. So he sat there in the rain.

In the distance, he could see a few people with an umbrella. Boy, was he jealous. That's when he realized they were staring at him. He tugged the hood over his face.

They still were staring at him. One of them pulled out a weird device and seemed to be talking into it.

When they were done, they still sat there for a moment more before walking away. Keefe let out a relieved breath.

That was, of course, until he saw sirens.

The police car pulled into the parking lot. Two cops stepped out of the car and made their way over to Keefe. That made him nervous.

"Hey kid," the male officer said. "What are you doing out here."

Keefe curled up tighter and looked at the ground. He didn't want to accidentally give the cop a command.

The female asked him, "How old are you?"

He hesitated before he said, "Sixteen."

She nodded. "You live with your parents?"

Keefe shook his head.

"On your own out here?" The male officer asked.

Keefe nodded.

The officer looked to his partner. He waved to Keefe to follow them. "Alright, come with us, kid. We're getting you off the streets."

Keefe's eyebrows shot up. He gathered up his bag and let the cops take him into the car.

On the ride to the police station, the female officer started to talk into another device.

"Hey, we've got a sixteen year old boy here that needs to be taken into child protective services. He was found out in the rain trying to sleep on a bench in the park. He doesn't really speak much, usually answers with body movements. Can we find a foster home for him tonight?"

Child protective services? What was that? And where were they taking him? And foster. Were they related to Sophie?

His breathing turned quick. He didn't want anyone to take him anywhere.

The male officer turned to ask him, "You alright back there? You're shaking. If you're cold, I can turn off the A/C."

Keefe just nodded so he would stop asking questions.

They pulled into the station. Keefe was made to wait in the waiting room. He was afraid to speak, but he needed to know what was going on.

He hesitantly approached the receptionist. He cleared his throat, needing that extra second to make sure it wouldn't come out as a command.

"Excuse ma'am?" His voice was scratchy. "Can you tell me what's going on, please?"

"Oh, of course," she said. "We're just waiting on the foster family to come pick you up. You'll be staying with them for the next night or two before we can find something a little more permanent. They have a middle schooler, an elementary age kid, and a dog. That won't be an issue, will it?"

Keefe shook his head. "No, it won't be. Thank you."

He went to go back and wait in his seat. Thirty minutes later, a car pulled into a parking lot, and a couple stepped out of it. They hurried out of the rain and into the building.

They went to talk to the receptionist, and she pointed to Keefe. They couple walked over to him.

"Hello," the woman said. "I'm Layni."

"And I'm Hayes," her husband reached out to shake his hand. Keefe took it.

Soon after, they left to get into the car. When they arrived at the house, they led him inside. The couple's two kids were sitting inside watching tv.

The dog ran out of another room. It jumped on Keefe. He gave a slight smile and pet the dog.

The two kids looked up. They smiled and waved at him. He waved back.

Hayes gestured to the girl, who only seemed to be a few years younger than Keefe, then to the younger boy. "This is Ember and Jet." He then turned to gesture to Keefe. "This is Keefe. He'll be staying with us for a few nights."

Layni then started to lead him down the hall. She pointed to a door at the end of the hall. "That's where you'll be staying tonight." She pointed to another door. "That's the bathroom. I've got a towel in there for you if you want to take a shower, and I'm getting you some dry clothes for you to change into."

Keefe nodded and headed into the room. It was simple, with a bed in one corner, a dresser on the wall, and a nightstand. The floor was carpeted, and there were glowing stars on the ceiling. He dropped his stuff onto the bed and took out Mrs. Stinkbottom. She was soaking wet. He sighed.

There was a knock at the door. He went to open it. It was Hayes. He was holding a pair of sweatpants and a gray shirt.

"Hey. I've got you some clothes. Would you like me to put yours in the dryer after you change?"

Keefe nodded. Hayes got a look at what was in his hands. "Do you want me to put your little ant eater in the dryer, too?"

Keefe was hesitant to give the stuffed animal over. What really stuck out to him was Hayes calling her an ant eater. Did humans not have Gulons? He eventually handed her over.

"Alright," Hayes said. "I'll give you some privacy." He handed over the clothes.

Keefe hopped into a quick shower. When he got dressed and back into the room, his old clothes and Mrs. Stinkbottom were and dry on the bed. He grabbed the green gulon and hugged her tight. The only familiar thing that stuck with him.

Another knock on his door. Layni's voice came through the wood. "If you're hungry, we've got some food for you in the kitchen."

He took a couple of deep breaths before walking out the door. He made it back to where Layni and Hayes were sitting with their kids around the dining table.

Hayes pointed to an empty seat with a plate in front of it. "Have a seat. It's Chinese food."

Keefe sat and took a forkful of the noodles. And... was that chicken? He didn't want to be rude, so he forced it down even though it made him queasy to think about. Although he had to admit, it tasted good.

A little ways into dinner, Jett asked him, "Do you speak?"

Everyone's eyes widened. Ember elbowed him and hissed under her breath, "You don't say that!"

"Hey," Layni murmured. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to. I'm sure you've been through a lot."

Keefe nodded. He looked down and picked at his food. "Umm... e-exuse me for moment," he stammered.

He dropped his fork and practically ran to the bathroom. He splashed his face with water so he wouldn't start crying. It wasn't helping. He tried to keep his sniffles quiet, but he knew it wasn't working when Layni's voice called out.

"Are you alright? I'm going to have a talk with him about blurting stuff out."

"No," Keefe murmured. "It's fine. That's not why I'm upset. It's just... been a rough few weeks."

"I bet it has. Take your time. It's alright. We're here for you. You don't have to worry about any of that."