Sofia

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own James...but I do own Sof ;) lol jk

A/N: my first one-shot...it'll be a long one-shot though! lol hope you like-Jamie

Chapter One:

James' heart was deeply broken by the passing by of Sylvia. The boys could tell just as much as their grandmother could. The usual spring in his step was gone and the light in his eyes had vanished. He wasn't sure if he wanted to find another companion since his loss of both Mary and Sylvia. He was almost sure he would be alone the remainder of his life.

It was another dreary, rainy morning he awoke to. He could hear the usual laughter of the boys playing downstairs. His head was heavy from the late hours of writing he had spent the night before. James had started a new play...although he was quite intimidated by his audience now that Peter Pan was such a success. He felt the need to create a wonderful sophomore play, in the same equality to Peter Pan. But something told him he could not produce such success without the inspiration of Sylvia. He simply needed a new muse.

James went downstairs, feeling that today would be a less exciting day. Probably a day of sitting on the couch writing, as there was the boys' grandmother home to watch them. James dreaded the rain. But he had an excuse.

After breakfast, he told Emma he had a couple errands to run and would be back as soon as possible. Of course, he did actually have a couple things to get done, but James found it easier to write in the outdoors.

And so he was off, walking through the rain without an umbrella. After several minutes of walking around aimlessly and getting soaked, he finally found a bench under a canopy of the entrance of a small shop. He pulled out his book of plays and turned to his latest installment. He reread it several times...making corrections, adding, removing, or changing almost every line. For some reason, none of it felt right.

James stared down at his worn old book and turned to the front, where his very first masterpiece lay. He could feel Sylvia's warmth as he reread it all. Oh, he missed her dearly...

James then snapped the book shut, not wanting to bring back painful memories he had attempted to rid of countless times previous. He was not to be thinking about this right now...His concentration was to be focused on writing.

But he could not. When James started thinking about Sylvia, he could not stop. He could not concentrate on anything but her when his mind decided to. He remembered every detail of every time they had spent time together in the park. He remembered every little thing about her; from the inspiration she provided him to the way her hair blew in the wind...he appreciated it all. All she had done for him was more than he could ever ask for from anyone.

Just as he was about to actually go run some errands as he had told Emma, a young lady opened the door of the shop he had been sitting next to. He stood and smiled at her. "Oh, good day, miss."

She smiled. "Hardly. What are you doing outside on a day like this, sir? You'll catch a cold."

"It's no matter, miss. I was just attempting a bit more of my play. But nothing is coming to me at this moment." He smiled weakly.

"Well, you should come in."

"Actually, I-"

"We wouldn't want you to be catching a cold," she said, laughing as they both proceeded inside the little shop.

It didn't take James quite long to realize what he was in was a candle shop. He looked around at the smooth, glittering candles surrounding him, some tied in ribbons or wrapping. "Do you make all these yourself...?" He then realized he did not know of her name.

She smiled. "Sofia. And yes, I do. I've loved working with wax ever since I was a little girl...And what's your name, sir?"

"J.M. Barrie...James."

She let out a small squeal, recognizing his name. "Oh, I just loved Peter Pan!"

"Why, thank you." He had really felt something of happiness at her compliment. She seemed to be lighting something inside of him. Inspiration? He hoped.

The two of them sat down on a couple of chairs in the small, darkening shop. Clouds were beginning to take over so things were getting darker; Sofia lit a couple candles which illuminated James' sad brown eyes. "What is your new play about, James?"

"Oh, uhm..." He looked down at his book again. He could not possibly tell of his newest play...It was full of dark thematic elements, evil villains and settings, horror the most frightening people could not make up, and a sadness beyond anything he had ever written before or had a reputation of writing. "It's actually just a small conglomeration of certain ideas I've thought up at random moments..."

She looked slightly disappointed. "The town has been so anxious for your next play! It would be a thrill to attend a premiere..." Sofia said, more to herself than James. "Something along the lines of your last would be remarkable to witness again."

"Oh, I would most definately hate to disappoint the town, but I'm not sure my new acts can even measure up to my last. That, I suppose, was a once-in-a-lifetime thing..." It was moments after he said it though that he hadn't been referring to what he thought he had.

"How so?"

"Well..." James said, smiling as he remembered his times with Sylvia. "I had a friend...I suppose you could say she put a generous impact on the production of the play." Sofia listened to him, interested in his every detail. "Of course when the play had achieved such great success...I felt as if it was quickly over with. Just as Sylvia was..."

James' eyes flickered more radiantly in the candlelight now. Sofia found her hand gently placed on his. He didn't seem to even notice; he was in deep thought, yet speaking what he was thinking. She appreciated it and mentally pleaded for him to continue. He did not though. He only grasped her hand absentmindedly. Sofia couldn't help but let her mind wander aloud now. "How did she pass away?"

"She was ill. Very ill." He paused, and looked out the window to the deserted road. "I miss her very much..."

"Darling-"

"My apologies...Sofia. I speak of my own sorrow without a thought of your own. Tell me about your life, dear."

She laughed softly, both of them quite unconscious to the fact her hand was gripped gently inside his. Sofia couldn't help but fall in love with the way he said her name with his charming Scottish accent. She wanted to know him so much more. "Well, there's not much to say...I make candles."

"You enjoy doing it right?"

"I do."

"Then there is much to be said, love."

She smiled, but could not think of much else to say except ask James more about his own life. "What did you do after the passing of Sylvia?"

"Well...I made an agreement with her mother to accept guardianship of her four boys. Now...I'm experiencing a new kind of thrill of raising four boys. I do hope they turn out as gentle and care-free as their mother." James closed his eyes for a moment and Sofia had to blink to restore her conscious. He seemed to be ridding of his terrible memories...He seemed to be reluctant to what was going on in his mind. "Anyway..." he said, gaining strength. "After our loss...my first thought was to pack up and leave this town. Start over from scratch. Nothing to look back on, nothing to lose."

"Oh, but you couldn't possibly-"

"Right. I couldn't possibly leave the boys."

She sat confused for a second then realized she didn't know what he meant. He explained the situation of Sylvia's four children and the look on her face was genuinely concerned. "Oh, dear...That must be an experience handling four boys!"

James smiled. "It is quite a job...But it's remarkable watching them grow more mature each day...every one of them. Remarkable, yet...disturbing. Especially Peter...He's throwing his life away by grieving. I'm starting to believe I may as well be too..."

"James..." She shifted her chair so that they were facing eachother but without losing the connection between the spaces between their fingers. James looked back into her eyes for the first time in minutes and brought his free hand up to stroke her face gently. Sofia's hand that was clasped between his fingers was removed and ran up his arm and stopped at his neck, which was coated in goosebumps. James stared into her eyes then slowly allowed their lips to meet. Sofia's breathing was either temporarily halted or immensely quickened as her fingers ran through his damp, dark hair and around his ear. James' heart was beating a million miles an hour for he had not experienced anything of this sort in so long.

Their lips parted and it took Sofia several seconds to reopen her eyes. James watched her timidly, awaiting criticism. But she only smiled, slowing down James' heartbeat. He smiled back, not knowing what was to come of this. They both sat there, stunned, until James noticed a ray of light across Sofia's delicate face. His back was to the window so he turned around to find the clouds had faded. The sun was out again.

James checked his watch hurriedly and took Sofia's hand. "I'm-I'm so sorry, darling. But I must be back-"

"I understand," she repied cheerfully.

He stood there for a moment, worries forgotten, and smiled once again, staring in here eyes. "It was a pleasure meeting you..."

"You too, James." Sofia said, smiling back.

James picked up his cane and book and with one last smile to Sofia, he exited the little candle shop. The feeling of the warm sun on his skin was amazing. Everything he had felt today was amazing. But nothing could compare to what he felt right now...the feeling that he was positive the girl in the shop was feeling the same thing. He'd never felt so many different things in one short period of time. And so James proceeded back to the house with a feeling he could not explain and a reassurance that he could fall in love again.