All the whispered "I Love You"s: a KOTLC fanfic

This is what I think Book 9 will be like, along with a little extra Sokeefe

Chapter One: Wake up

Sophie stared at the pink-blue petals on the ground. They were soft on her fingers when she bent down to scoop some into her pockets. Panakes were beautiful, yes, but they were also useful.

Maybe not in her case, but Sophie still liked to pretend. Pretending was better than doing nothing, and perhaps the one thing keeping her sane.

Deep down, Sophie knew that the flowers wouldn't wake Keefe up.

She neglected to tell herself that, though, as she turned from Calla's tree and held up her pathfinder to the light. Her adoptive parents had given her the pathfinder because they knew that if she wanted to go somewhere, she could just tleleport, but leaping was easier on her mind.

She felt herself glitter away, and moment later, reappear at Everglen. Della was ready to open the gates for her, and Sophie gave a nod of thanks.

"Is he-?" Sophie began.

"Not yet." Della whispered.

Sophie nodded, choking down a knot in her throat. Had she really expected anything would be different this time? Two weeks, she'd been leaping to Everglen to visit Keefe.

And that didn't include the extra week that he'd spent in the hospital in the beginning. Sophie had decided to have him moved out of the hospital, and she sure as heck wasn't going to leave him at the Shores of Solace with Lord Cassius.

She wished that it could have been Havenfeild. That way she could watch over him constantly... maybe even be there when he woke up.

When he woke up.

Sophie couldn't let her mind dive into if.

As she entered the humongus mansion, Sophie saw Della quietly leave her side. It was fine though, because she'd memorized the way to Keefe's room, and didn't need anyone leading her there.

Sophie didn't know where Fitz and Biana were, but she'd seen them earlier today at Foxfire. Now it was time for Keefe.

The room was simple, a bit plain, by elvish standards. But Sophie had made it her duty to change that. Each time she came she'd bring something for him. This time the Panakes.

Her eyes landed on his face. Eyes closed, a little drool pooling at the side of his mouth where his cheek touched the pillow. His blonde hair was unstyled, as there wasn't any need for it to be in it's usual disheveled state, and over the past three weeks, the product keeping it in artful spikes had depleted.

He didn't deserve to be in a coma. He'd been so kind, and brave.

Sophie sat in the chair by his bed, and fished the Panakes from her pockets. "I brought you these." she told him quietly.

He just lie there, not moving.

She set the flowers on his bed, and moved her hand on top of his. "I miss you." She whispered, knowing he couldn't hear her. Maybe it was better that way. He'd just tease her, if he knew she'd been coming ot see him.

"This is my fault." She said softly, squeezing his hand. When he didn't move, she used the hem of her long sleeved tunic to wipe the drool form his cheek.

Yep. That was pretty much how it went every day.

Sophie stayed a little while longer. She stared at Keefe's face, wishing more than anything that he would open his eyes and say. "Just kidding, Foster! I'm fine!"

But then she noticed something. His hand... was moving.

Sophie's jaw dropped. "Keefe?"

Chapter two: The Change

"I swear I saw him move." Sophie insisted. That's what she'd been saying for the last fifteen minutes- but it didn't seem to change anyone's mind.

"His vitals are the same, and I'm not picking up any conciousness." Elwin told her, for what had to be the millionth time.

"Sophie, don't you think you might be just a little paranoid?" Fitz asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I know what I saw. He was stirring!" She insisted, snapping at the audience of family and friends she'd hailed for the anticipated "Waking up moment". Everyone looked uncomfortable, pitying her hopefulness. Even her adoptive parents seemed doubtful.

"Look, you've been really stressed lately," Elwin said in that 'why-don't-you-go-get-some-rest' voice. "And between working with team Vallient, and trying to track down Lady Gisela, you're probably a little desperate. We can't blame you, either."

It wasn't like he was wrong. She had been super busy- with other things as well, including a sertian cache that was proving to be very difficult to deal with.

Sophie plopped down on the nearest armchair, feeling like an idiot. "Guys, I wasn't making stuff up. His hand moved!!!"

Another round of muttered excuses and awkward glances were exchanged, and Sophie was about to scream. Why didn't they just listen?

"Look, Sophie, we want to believe you-we really do." Dex told her, and he looked like he meant it. "But... it's not like this is the first time this has happened."

It was hard to find a way out of that one. Probably because it was the truth. Once she'd sworn she'd seen his eye twitch- and another time his breathing had gotten faster! But this meant that maybe it was time to accept that she hadn't seen anything.

Which made Sophie want to rip apart the pillows on the fluffy armchair which was now surrounded by her friends. The longer Keefe stayed asleep- the more Sophie let herself worry. About everything. But mostly the part where Keefe was supposed to be going through some sort of aledged 'transformation'. That could mean anything...

"Okay." Sohie finally said. "Maybe I didn't see anything."

"See?" Elwin said. "Just go home, and get some rest. Don't give me that look- you need it too."

Sophie sighed. "Only after I check in with team Vallient."

"I can cover for you." Dex offered, with a reassuring smile.

The temptation to let him do so was overwhelming.... but.

"No, Dex, I'm fine. Really." And with that she got up form the chair, and made for the door, where Sandor and Flori were waiting.

But then there was a gasp, from the back of the room, and Sophie whipped around to see what it was. And there she saw, the most blessed thing that her eyes had ever seen.

Keefe. Was. Awake.

Sophie didn't stop to think, she just ran with all her might to his bed, and threw herself on him in the biggest, tightest hug she'd ever given. But something twanged inside when... he didn't hug her back. Or call her Foster. Or even laugh.

She stepped back suddenly, concern swelling. "Keefe?"

And then the beautiful blonde boy with the ice blue eyes looked at her with complete confusion as he said:

"Who's Keefe?"

Chapter 3: Amnesia

"Very funny, Keefe." Sophie said. She didn't laugh though, when his expression remained confused.

"Where am i?" He asked sounding scared.

Nobody answered, all of them either too shocked to say anything or too scared to ask him the question that was blaring through Sophie's mind. "What did Lady Gisella do to you?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" He panicked his eyes darting left to right, taking in all of the faces that should have been familiar...

"Its me!" Sophie shouted "Sophie! Foster! You have to remember!"

Elwin grabbed her by the shoulders, and for a moment, Sophie didn't know why, until she realized that she'd been shaking Keefe by his shoulders. "Sophie, calm down. Probably just a temporary side affect, and will go away in a few hours."

The words had some weight to them, and Sophie was tempted to sit back down and let Edwin run some tests... make sure that Keefe would remember. But as she looked once more into his icy blue eyes, saw the look of confusion and that blankness as he stared at her like she was someone he'd never known, let alone cared about... something clicked.

"You dont remember..." She said it mostly to herself, but the words still reached Keefe.

"I'm sorry." He said blankly. "We're we... friends?"

Something about the way the words crashed around in her head made Sophie shut down. Maybe it was because she was tired after the long day, and now having to deal with this... but she just got up, slipped her way in and out of the crowd of friends and family, and once she was out of the mansion... ran.

Ran away, letting herself teleport, not caring where she ended up. Focusing only on a face... and wanting to get to wherever that person was.

Cold blue eyes.

Gorgeous blonde hair

Stretched, blemishless skin.

Sophie was going to make Lady Gisella pay.

Chapter 4:

There was a sound like thunder ripping through the sky, and Sophie shot out of the void, and into the least likely place she could think of. Foxfire?

Or at least, Magnate Leto's office.

Lady Gisella whipped around, her face betraying no shock as she saw Sophie. "Ah, hello." He she nodded curtly. "I had a feeling I'd see you soon..."

"What. Did. You. Do?" Sophie snarled, storming closer.

"Ah, so I assume Keefe's awake. Good." The way she turned back around and continued with what she was doing dispite the fact that Sophie was ready to inflict all the pain and hurt she'd ever felt into Gisella was infuriating.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO HIM!!!" Sophie roared, not caring about subtlty.

"He can't remember anything, can he?" Gisella asked loosely, as she rummaged through the drawers of Magnate Leto's desk.

Sophie shoved her with her telekinesis, slamming her into the wall. "Enough games! You wiped his memeries, now tell me how to fix it or I'm gonna blast you with the most pain you've ever felt in your life, and maybe break your mind. I don't know, I'm still debating."

Lady Gisella shook her head and clucked her tongue. "This is the problem Sophie, you don't have a plan, and for this reason, you let your enemies get the best of you. See, I'm the one with the power, here. I'm the only one who knows what Keefe is going through, and how to take care of him. If you break my mond or inflict- or use any of the other little 'gifts' you have on me, I won't tell you anything." She smiled, sickly sweet.

Sophie took slow breaths, as she backed away, and loosed her teleinetic hold on Gisella. The woman, stepped away from the wall, and stretched her arms a bit.

"Tell me what you did to Keefe, and how to fix him." Sophie said, this time quieter.

"That's not how this work,s Sophie. First, you have to give me something I want."

"What?"

Gisella smiled. "That's better, isn't it?.  See what can happen when we cooperate?"

Anger rose in Sophie's stomach. "Just tell me." She said, through gritted teeth.

"I wan't the Cache." She said blankly.

"I don't know what you're taling about."

Gisella rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you're so like Keefe. A terrible liar."

Sophie bit her lip, looking at her shoes. She was terrible at this kind of thing. Lady Gisella just waited, leaning up against the desk, and watching her. "You have until tomorrow, this time. Then I'll want your descision. If you should decide yes, leave the Cache in an envelope in my son's old locker. That way I'll know how to find it."

And then Gisella took something from her pocket and held it up to the light. A beam focused before her, and she stepped into it and glittered away.

And Sophie? She stood there, hugging herself, and filling to the brim with dread.

Chapter 5:

"What are we supposed to do?" The words stood still, unmovable, intimidating. But Sophie had bottled them up for too long, and if anyone in the room could answer them, she might very well cry out of joy.

But it was a total of 204 seconds before Mr. Forkle answered, and his words fueled Sophie with anger. "I don't know."

There were three of them in Havenfeild's living room, including herself. The only one not speaking was Councillor Oralie, who Sophie was ashamed to say was her genetic mother. Sophie wasn't having it.

"And you?" She spat at the pink gowned elf. "Aren't you going to say something?"

Oralie's mouth opened slightly, but her words were delayed. "We could give her the chache... after we learn the secret."

Sophie wanted to rip out her hair. "But we tried. The chache won't open!"

"Maybe we haven't tried hard enough." Oralie's words were soft, too pretty to be involved in the present conversation.

Mr. Forkle spoke, before Sophie had time to scoff. "If we give Lady Gisela the chache, there is a very good chance she won't be able to open it. All of the Black Swan's Technopaths- including Mr. Dizznee- have explored it several times... Gisela may not have better luck."

"But what if she does? And what if what's in the chache IS the secret to helping Keefe?!" Sophie waited for an answer.