Book Two: KOTLC One-shots and More

Losing Hope (Keefe POV)

A/N: The next nine chapters tell the Matchmaking AU/AE storyline from Keefe's perspective.

Keefe couldn't help but smile when he saw that Foster was hailing him. He always loved hearing from her.

As soon as he answered, her adorably excited face filled the screen. "You were right," she told him.

He smirked and leaned in closer to his Imparter. "Of course I was. I always am. But, just so we're clear, what was I right about this time?"

"After Fitz overheard us talking about me being unmatchable, and you hailed me later to see if everything was okay--"

"Oh, and I told you that maybe you should just ask Forkle to give the information directly to the matchmakers without telling you, and hope he agrees so you don't actually have to find your parents?"

Oh.

Oh no.

Not that, please.

She nodded. "I reached out to the registry office first, and they said that since the matchmakers are sworn to absolute secrecy, they would be honor-bound not to share any information from my file with the Council or anyone else, so no one but the matchmakers assigned to sorting through my packet would ever have the knowledge of my genetic parents. So I took that to Mr. Forkle, who still looked unhappy about it, but he finally agreed to do it. He even went with me right then to Atlantis and entered their names into one of the matchmaker's tablets."

He forced himself to continue to smile as he replied, "so you were able to pick up your packet?"

She held it up so he could see it.

The sight of it made him want to throw up.

"It's going to take forever to fill out, though, this is kind of ridiculous."

"You don't...have to fill it out if you don't want to," he reminded her in a softer voice. "I know you have been iffy about it all." And I wouldn't care!!!

"Yeah, but if I don't..." her voice trailed off.

"Yeah." He knew what she meant, even if she wasn't actually saying it. She was worried about losing Fitz. "So...have you given the good news to the Fitzter yet?"

Sophie shook her head. "I'm going to go see him tomorrow, I'll just tell him then. I just wanted to tell you that your suggestion was brilliant, and to say thank you again."

Even in his heartache, he felt a slight lift in knowing that her first instinct when presented with good news was to talk to him.

But it wasn't enough, and he was so tired of trying to convince himself that it was.

But he also knew he'd go right on telling himself that anyway.

Her happiness was the most important thing, even if it came at the expense of his own.

"Yeah," he mumbled distractedly. "You're welcome. You know I'm always here, for whatever you need." He saw as she smiled, but he didn't give her the chance to say anything else. He needed to end this conversation before his emotions showed. "But look, I need to go, I, um...I should probably make sure Ro isn't about to lace my dad's dinner with something unpleasant."

Then he clicked off his Imparter without waiting for a goodbye.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said bluntly to Ro before she could start in on it.

He just couldn't. He didn't have the energy.

He'd go right back to being supportive, being a good friend to Sophie and Fitz both.