A/N Okay folks, here ya go….so sorry it's been so long but I hope to have more updates more regulary. Have fun and please review. Happy reading!
Chapter Nine
Party Dresses and Distractions
"I can't wear that!" Sophie said flatly as the dress Abby held up before her. Abby looked down at it and then back up.
"Why not?"
"It's too…tiny. I'm waiting for you to show me the rest of it." She added when she couldn't think of another way to describe it. It was a black off the shoulder dress. The fabric had a lacy feel to it and once on she was sure it would be way too short. Sophie didn't wear dresses so anything remotely resembling one made her uncomfortable.
"No, it's pretty and you will look great in it."
"No, it will look like I'm advertising."
"It will not! Now stop being a baby and go and try it on." Abby tossed her the dress which she caught before it hit her in the face. She sighed as she stomped into the bathroom. She was still feeling frustrated about the interruption and with Leonard. Once Abby arrived he practically ran from the room, not once looking back at her. He was one of the most frustrating people she knew. He ran both hot and cold all at the same time. She knew he wanted her and boy oh boy she wanted him but as of right now it couldn't happen. They had a job to do, a fact she had to keep reminding herself of. She sighed again and looked back down at the offending dress. Abby had brought several for her to try on so that they could get into the gala. She pulled it over her head squeezing herself into it and pulling it down. She turned and looked at herself in the mirror. Okay it wasn't that bad but it certainly wasn't something she was used to. It came to her knees and had quarter sleeves. The front was detailed in a delicate lace with a high front but the back was open.
"How does it look?" Abby called out to her. She was enjoying her friends discomfort entirely too much.
"Not sure." She tried pulling it down to cover more of her bare legs. It was just short enough that it made her uncomfortable.
"Oh, come and let me see. I have the perfect heels for that dress." Sophie popped her head out of the bathroom.
"Heels?!" She questioned. "I can't wear heels! No one said anything about heels!" She sounded slightly panicked.
"Sure, you can. It's easy." Abby had a big smile on her face.
"But I'll fall flat on my face." She was now fully standing outside of the bathroom.
"Well we do need a distraction." She said eyeing the dress on her. "See, pretty."
"Not funny and I need more coverage. This isn't going to work." She threw her hands up in the air and walked a little toward Abby.
"It is going to work and you look fantastic."
"You don't think it's too short? I feel like I need to keep pulling it down." She said as she tugged at the hem again. Abby suddenly had a strange look on her face and then broke out into an even bigger smile.
"Why don't you ask him?" She knew before turning around who exactly she was talking about but still turned around quickly to face Snart who had quietly snuck into his door and now stood at the adjoining door holding a bag of food. His eyes roving up and down her body in a way that left her breathless and she felt herself flush all over. He didn't speak just stared but his eyes said everything. She tried to look away but when his eyes met hers she froze in place. She had heard the expression being undressed by someone's eyes but never really understood it until now and it left her with emotions she couldn't put a name to. Abby cleared her throat and Leonard was the first to break eye contact. She felt weak in the knees and was grateful she wasn't wearing heels just because she would have fallen over. He looked at Abby with an unreadable look on his face.
"She can't wear that." He stated.
"Why not?" Abby asked with a hint of mischievous and an amused look on her face.
"Because she will never leave this room with it on." Abby let out a surprised chuckle and Sophie who had recovered from her shock shook her very red face and mumble
"For crying out loud." As she slipped into the bathroom once again and closed the door leaning back against it trying to catch her breath.
Leonard however had not been able to breath since he had walked into the room and saw her standing there with her bare back exposed leaving far too much to the imagination. He shook his head and thrust the bag of food back at Abby not being able to tear his eyes away from the bathroom door to where she had just disappeared.
"Make sure she eats. She doesn't eat." Abby took the bag from his out stretched hand and chuckled to herself as his hand hung there midair for a few more seconds as he continued to watch the door before he realized she had taken the bag. He lowered his hand walking back through his door giving one last lungful look at the door before disappearing.
"Okay." Abby said to herself. "I'm guessing that was too much of a distraction. She picked up another dress still laughing about the whole exchange. Sophie was always one who tried to control every situation. It was fun seeing her off kilter. She knocked on the door lightly.
"You okay in there?"
"Fan-fricken-tastic." Sophie added through the door sarcastically.
"Well I have another one for you to try." She waited for no reply. "I promise this one is safer." The door opened a crack and an arm stuck out. Abby handed her the dress and it disappeared through the crack. Abby still stood by the door listening as she changed.
"So…you want to talk about what just happe…?"
"Nope!" Was the very short reply which in turn caused Abby to laugh yet again.
"I interrupted something this morning, didn't I?"
"You are enjoying this way too much."
"Yeah well I need to have fun somehow."
"Your timing sucks!"
"Tell me about it."
"What about your love life?" Abby snorted.
"What love life?"
"Oh, come on you are your vigilante seem awful cozy."
"That is not even worth mentioning." Abby added with a hint of sadness in her tone.
"Oh, I doubt that. Besides it's more fun when it's about you." Abby sighed and pushed away from the door.
"All right brat, I'm coming in. How does it look?" Abby walked in and looked at her friend's reflection in the mirror. "Oh, I was wrong before. This is the right one."
"Are you sure?" She asked as she took in her own reflection.
"Absolutely." The dress was a light ice blue which hung to the floor in a light flowy look. The front was decorated in a fragile lace with a high collar and short sleeves. The back on this one was bare as well but it left her features softer. Abby came up behind Sophie. "I think it's safe to say that we need to keep Snart away from you until this is done."
"Abigail!" Sophie gasped and Abby chuckled in response.
"All right, now how about that hair." They spent the next few hours going over the details of the "distraction." Abby had even gotten Sophie into a pair of heels.
"So, I have a friend meeting me there but I don't want you to make a big deal over this." Abby said as they worked on Sophie's many frizzy curls. They had decided the best fit for the dress was to leave the curls cascading down her back and topped it off with a diamond studded bohemian styled head band. Sophie raised her eyebrow slightly.
"And why would I do that?" She asked suddenly suspicious. "Does he know about all of this?"
"He just knows I'm here to help a friend."
"Then why so worried?"
"Well, it's a bit complicated and I don't want you to freak out. He is meeting me there." Abby was keeping something from her so she kept digging.
"Abby what aren't you telling me?"
"There is something more."
"What?" She asked as suspicion crept into her voice once again.
"The gala we need to get into is sponsored by Bruce Wayne." Sophie felt her stomach drop at the mention of her former friend's name.
"Well that's just perfect." She mumbled and looked back down at her dress. "This is a bad idea. It's not going to work."
"It will. Just relax."
"We'll see." She couldn't bring herself to do it and now knowing that Wayne was going to be there put her in a very sour mood.
"So, what really happened between you and him?" Abby asked catching on to her mood change.
"It's a long story." She didn't like getting into it.
"Come on Sophie, talk to me." Sophie took a deep breath.
"There really isn't much to tell. He said he would be there for something and he never showed.
"It must have been important."
"It was at the time but not enough for him." Abby gave her friend a hug.
"Well you don't need him and by this time tomorrow we will be out of this place."
"Here's hoping." Sophie agreed. "We only have half an hour before we need to be there." She changed the subject and turned her attention back to the mirror in front of her. She tried to calm her nerves as they crept up leaving her breathless.
"You're going to be fine. You're going to be fine." She said out loud to herself a few times earning her a chuckle from her friend who had just finished strapping on her own shoes.
"Yes, you are and we are ready."
"If you say so." Sophie added as she still fidgeted. Abby handed her something. She held it up with a questionable look. "What is this?"
"It's an ear bud. That way we can hear you and you can hear us." She helped her put it in.
"We?" She questioned.
"Yeah, The Arrow, Snart and myself." She placed her own finger to her ear. "You boys hear me?"
"Perfectly. Now let's get this moving." The first voice growled in Sophie's ear causing her to jump slightly. Abby gave her an apologetic look.
"it takes a while to get used to."
"How is my girl?" Snart's voice filtered in her ear. "Nervous, but she's good." Abby responded.
"I'm fine!" She practically shouted and she heard a collective sigh. She rolled her eyes at their reaction. "Oh, let's just get this over with." She said trying to calm her over active nerves.
Thirty minutes later, several self-pep talks and everyone telling her to breath they finally arrived. The radios had gone silent but it was a slight comfort to Sophie that Snart was still within hearing distance, even though he would be sending the night stealing a file from a computer drive elsewhere in the building. Abby and her job was to create a distraction so that he could get a clean get away. The Arrow was to serve as look out.
The two girls entered the ballroom and instantly Sophie was in awe of what was before her. She had never rubbed elbows with the rich and famous before and it was a bit overwhelming. She didn't know where to look first. Her attention was quickly diverted when Abby spoke.
"Okay, like I said, don't make a big deal. He is just a friend." Sophie drew her attention to a rather good looking man as he approached them.
"Abby is that…"
"Yes." She answered quickly before Sophie could finish, which caused Sophie to smile in return. She suddenly had the urge to jab at her friend.
"Really how? And how did you too meet?" It was nice to see someone else besides her become uncomfortable.
"We just did, now don't make a fuse. Hi Oliver." Abby said all of this in one breath and a forced smile. Sophie hid her grin.
"Abby, it's good to see you." He said kissing her on the cheek which caused her to blush. He then turned his attention to Sophie who offered her his hand as she looked at her friend with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"You must be Sophie, Abby talks about you a lot."
"Funny, she hasn't mentioned you but then again she does hold things quite close to the vest." Oliver just laughed slightly.
"Yes, she does, but it is good to finally meet you."
"Same here Mr. Queen."
"Please call me Oliver."
"Alright Oliver, it is very nice to meet you." One couldn't help but smile at the guy. He really was rather good looking.
"Making friends again I see." A voice growled in her ear making her jump slightly which earned her another apologetic look from Abby and a blank look from Oliver. She gritted a smile ignoring the jealous voice quite literally in her ear. The last thing she needed was to talk back to him and make herself look crazy.
"So how long have you and Abby known each other?" She asked trying to ease the tension.
"Well, we meant several years ago on a plan from London." Sophie noticed the way his eyes softened ever so slightly as he looked at her. His eyes that seemed so familiar. She also noticed the blush that brushed Abby's features and she turned to look at her friend again.
"I didn't know you were in London." She smiled slyly at her friend.
"Well…yeah, once." She couldn't meet her friends stare.
"Huh, that's interesting."
"All right all ready. Enough of the small talk. It's getting old." The voice in her ear responded. But before she could say or do anything Oliver gently lay a hand on Abby's back and Sophie's arm. It was at that moment that she finally understood and everything made sense.
"If you ladies will excuse me for a moment." He looked at Abby. "I'll be right back." Then he was gone and Sophie watched her friend Watch Oliver as he walked away. Abby finally looked back at Abby,
"What?" She asked trying to sound innocent.
"I totally get it now." Abby narrowed her eyes slightly as she spoke to Sophie.
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do." She added with a smile.
"Ladies, lets focus please." Snart sniped over the ear piece.
"Someone is testy." Piped Abby as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"Someone is jealous." Sophie responded.
"I told you before, I don't get jealous." Leonard spoke again.
"Let's focus people." The Arrow had finally joined the conversation.
Well, that was quick." Sophie mumbled to herself.
"What?" Abby asked her.
"Nothing…how far are we into this?" She asked Snart through the ear piece.
"About thirty minutes."
"Good because now I have to pee."
"Don't you always?" Snart bit back.
"Hey, give me a break. I have a nervous bladder. Abby come with me."
"Why?"
"Because you have to go too."
"Do women always travel in pairs?" Leonard sniped in the ear piece."
"In my experience, yes." The Arrow answered back.
"Well now don't they make quite the comedy duo." Sophie said sarcastically as they entered the rest room, Sophie looked around and found that they were alone and quickly locked the door turning toward a confused Abby. "I don't need you in my head as I pee so I am taking you out." She said matter of factly as she went to remove the ear piece.
"Kitten…" The voice on the other end started to say but she didn't hear the rest. Taking the hint Abby removed hers too.
"We need to talk alone and we don't need ease droppers." Sophie said to her.
"Okay, now spill it. What has you so in need of a secret bathroom conversation.?" Abby asked her with her arms crossed.
"Your friend Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow." Sophie simply stated gaging Abby's reaction who looked at her closed lipped. "I mean it make so much more sense now that I think about it."
"Sophie…" Abby started to warn but was interrupted.
"Don't worry, you of all people know I can keep a secret. I just find it funny that you can give me a hard time about Snart but here you are hanging out with a millionaire vigilante with a leather fetish. I mean it's perfect."
"it's complicated." Abby said looking at her shoes.
"Isn't everything?" Sophie questioned. "Have you seen my life lately? The man who has kidnapped me on more than one occasion now has me helping him find his missing sister who was taken by my crazy ass uncle out for revenge on me. Add to that every time he touches me or I touch anyone I see and feel what they are feeling." Now it was Sophie's turn to look at her shoes. After a few seconds of silence, it was Abby's turn to speak.
"So that's how you do it." Abby said softly as Sophie finally looked up at her. "All these years of you knowing things you shouldn't. It's because you're an empath, right?" Sophie looked up at her in surprise. "I figured it was something like that. How long have you had this ability?"
"Since I can remember." Sophie added as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Why didn't you ever say anything?" She asked softly.
"I wasn't sure anyone would believe me. I mean how would you explain that after every time someone touched you, you felt what they felt?"
"So, when Silas did what he did to you…"
"I felt all of it." Sophie felt tears threatening to well up in her eyes. Abby noticed and put a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"I get where you are coming from. I just wished you had told me." Sophie looked at her.
"I know, I'm sorry." She wiped at her tears and Abby helped her dry them.
"Well this certainly explains why you seem to be over emotional at times. Feeling all those feelings at once can't be easy. Kind of like remembering everything at once." She smiled sadly referring to her own ability.
"Yeah, I guess it is." She looked down at the ear piece she still held in her hand. "Well, we shouldn't keep these guys waiting much longer." Abby gave her another encouraging smile and nodded in agreement and they both placed their ear pieces back in.
"Okay boys, we are back online. What is our ETA?" Abby asked.
"About ten minutes." The Arrow/Oliver answered. "Everything okay?"
"Yes, we're fine."
"Kitten?" Snart asked his voice sounding tense.
"yes, I'm fine. I just need to get this over with." Sophie answered.
"Don't do that again." He sounded worried but trying to hide it as well.
"Okay." She said and then turned to Abby. "You ready for this?"
"Are you?" Both girls took a deep breath and went to leave the bathroom.
"Please be careful." Sophie whispered out loud meaning for everyone involved but the one who mattered the most answered back.
"You too Kitten."
Once they left the confines of the room they both went their separate ways. Abby making her way to the back of the room getting ready to start her end of the distraction. Sophie was to position herself at the front of the room. Her job was to pull the fire alarm just at the right time. She was so focused on what she was doing that when an arm grabbed her around the waist pulling her close she yelled slightly in surprise.
"Hello there, Little Red. It's been a long time." She looked up into a familiar pair of eyes and felt herself grow warm with anger. She pulled herself away with a jerk.
"What do you want?" Her voice thick with sarcasm.
"What's going on?" Snart asked over the ear piece. "Sophie, are you okay?"
"She will be okay but he may not." Abby responded. "Sophie, just walk away and we can deal with him later. Hell, I'll even hold him down for you but this needs to be done now."
"I'm just saying hi to an old friend Sophie." The man before her said as she tried to move past him.
"We are not friends Wayne! And I have nothing left to say to you so please just let me go."
"We were once, friends I mean and I know I hurt you but please let me make it up to you." He stopped her once again with his hand on her arm. She got a jolt and looked up at the man who suddenly had a very serious look on his face.
"Bruce?! What did you do?" She asked quietly. He looked down at her pleadingly.
"Please, just come with me before it's too late. Just trust me this one time."
"Not until you tell me what is wrong." She dug in her heels as he grabbed at her arm again.
"Sophie, get out of there now!" Snart's voice shouted into the ear piece.
"Sophie, I can't stop anything. You need to pull that alarm!" Abby shouted at her. Wayne just gave her a look and reached to pull the alarm just as a huge explosion echoed throughout and the floor beneath her shook before her collapsed.
A/N Uh-oh! Oh no! What's a girl to do and how do our hero's survive this….Stay tuned until next week when we return. LOL sorry just my dry sense of humor but truly enjoy and please let me know what you think.
