The moment you've all been waiting for. We'll finally see what Sophia's been hiding and what her stalker's been threatening her with. Please enjoy!
OoOoOo
Sophia, Rex found, had been nearly inconsolable afterward.
She had paced around his apartment at least twenty times, muttering incoherently to herself (in a mixture of English, Greek, French, and other languages). A few times, he could make out things like, "All my fault" and "My parents are going to kill me." The woman was nigh hysterical; her hands shook constantly and when they weren't, they were tugging at her dark locks. He was almost afraid that she would tear her hair out.
Finally, Rex felt as though he had to intervene. "Soph," he said sharply, taking hold of her shoulders. She stopped and looked up at him. "Hey, you've gotta chill, okay?"
Sophia shook her head, her hair whipping back and forth. "I can't chill," she insisted. "You don't understand, this is getting worse. This person, they-" She abruptly silenced herself and averted her gaze from his.
He moved his hands to her face and gently caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. "They what?" he inquired softly. He knew he had to handle this very carefully; one wrong move could send her back into her frenzy.
She stared at him helplessly. "They know," was all she told him.
Rex felt his stomach drop slightly, though he couldn't understand why. She was the one going through a crisis, not him. "What do they know?" he pressed. He was bothered by his lack of knowledge of this situation. He already didn't like not knowing things (and really, who would?), but it really seemed to present an obstacle for him.
Sophia's nostrils flared slightly before her expression instantly morphed. Her expression changed from frantic to terrified and she shook her head even faster. "Please don't ask me that," she almost begged. "I can't lie to you and you wouldn't- you couldn't- understand."
He mentally took a step back, trying to comprehend what she'd just uttered. "What wouldn't I understand?" She was starting to scare him. Her usual composure was all but gone and she looked seconds away from breaking down.
But she went on as if she hadn't heard him. "Hera, you'd hate me-"
Rex felt his heart skip a beat at those words. What, was she crazy? He couldn't even wrap his head around hating her. Whatever this asshole was holding over her, they would deal with it. His opinion of her would never change. But as he saw her eyes shift in fear and anticipation, he could tell she believed it. She really thought that he was going to hate her.
Well, that wasn't going to work with him.
He took her by her waist and pulled her flush against him. She had no time to react as he pressed his lips to hers. She relaxed into the kiss and began to respond, her moans trapped by his mouth. Rex hauled her up and she wrapped her legs around his torso. He almost smirked as he slipped his tongue past her parted lips, deepening the kiss. She was ready for him, her tongue gently circling his.
When they broke away, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen. "Rex," she breathed.
Rex grinned at her breathless expression. "Like that?" he couldn't help but tease.
Sophia rolled her eyes but gave him a flustered smile. "Asshole," she commented, her words holding very little bite. She seemed much calmer now, all but melting into his embrace.
He pressed his lips to the crown of her head. "Whatever it is, we'll deal with it," he swore. "I couldn't hate you and I think you know that." Obviously, he didn't know that for sure. If she was secretly a villain using him to get information on the League, he may have hated her. But that was ridiculous and impossible since she, like him, was the daughter of two founders. He knew she was a good person, he had seen her morality for itself.
Yes, he decided that it was very impossible for him to hate her.
She looked at him for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Get comfortable," she warned him. "This is gonna be a long story."
OoOoOo
Sophia Wayne was at the highest point in her life.
At least, that was what it felt like as she treated herself to the local bar's most expensive martini for the fourth time. She didn't drink often, but this was a special occasion. After all, it wasn't every day that you graduated from university at the top of your class. She couldn't help but feel a bit smug; her mother had never attended college. Her father had, but not at twenty-three. She felt as though she had the right to celebrate.
Though, most people wouldn't call this celebrating. But she wasn't most people. Besides, she had spent the last seven years studying. Not only had she studied French law, but American as well. It had taken everything within her, but she had finally done it.
"Do you always spend your time in bars alone?"
Sophia was brought out of her thoughts by a smooth, silky voice. Next to her sat a man who looked like he was in his late twenties. He had neat, dark hair, pale skin, high cheekbones, and the darkest eyes she had ever seen. It looked like she knew what she was doing to not. Or rather, who. A smirk tugged at her lips. "No, I'm usually at home studying my ass off," she retorted. "But tonight is a special occasion."
The handsome man gave her a charming smile. "College student?" he guessed.
She feigned surprise. "How did you know?"
He chuckled deeply. "You are very cheeky, mademoiselle," he remarked.
Sophia bit her lip slowly, watching as his eyes darted to her mouth. "I hope that's a good thing."
The man leaned in close until their faces were only centimeters apart. "Why don't you show me?" he suggested. His hand came to rest on her bare knee and she shivered at the contact.
She ended up going home with him.
OoOoOo
In the present, Rex gave her an exasperated look. "Sophia," he said dryly. She had known the guy for all of ten minutes! It had taken him ten weeks (give or take) to get her to open up to him. But he was just concerned about her impulsiveness. He wasn't jealous. He definitely wasn't feeling a certain way that she had let someone else in so easily. Especially since she'd known him her entire life. Nope, absolutely not.
If Sophia was bothered by his tone, she didn't show it. "I was tipsy and I needed a stress reliever," she reminded him with a shrug. "Don't judge."
He sighed, shoving away his envy. "Never mind that, just finish." She nodded and continued her tale.
OoOoOo
The man's name was Noël Richard. He was twenty-eight years old and worked for one of France's major companies. Along with being charming and sweet, he was also great in bed. Sophia's interest was definitely caught and she had agreed to a real date with him. That began their relationship. He would buy her divine gifts and take her to expensive restaurants. For the first few weeks, things were perfect.
Then, Noël had begun to exhibit mood swings.
At first, they were minor. He would snap at her for bothering him or would tell her that she was talking too much. She had chalked that up to him being stressed from work.
As much as that could sting, Sophia could understand. She'd had her fair share of stressful moments as she went through college. Besides, she knew that she was a lot to handle. She was talkative and annoying and-
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Rex frowned. "You aren't annoying," he insisted, looking thoroughly offended.
Sophia sighed at the interruption but couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, hon," she replied, placing a soft kiss to his cheek. It was nice to know that she didn't bother him like she had Noël. The two were very different. Perhaps that was what had drawn her to Rex. Still, she had a story to tell. "But if you keep interrupting, I'm never gonna finish."
He looked a bit sheepish. "Sorry," he muttered.
She waved him off. "Don't worry about it," she assured him. She hoped he never apologized for caring about her again. "Now, where was I?"
OoOoOo
Soon, arguments had begun to break out between them.
"Where the fuck were you?" hissed Noël one night after she entered his apartment.
Sophia blinked at the hostility in his tone. "I had a bill to pay..." she answered uncertainly, trying to gather her thoughts. She'd had a long day, maybe she had been out later than intended? She glanced at the clock: 7:25. What the hell? She was only ten minutes late, why was he acting like she was supposed to be here hours ago?
He rolled his dark eyes. "Yeah, right," he scoffed. "You were probably out with some whore."
That... stung a bit. She was bisexual, yes, but that didn't mean that she was a cheater. She had been cheated on before and it had hurt. She would never inflict that onto anyone. "I was paying my goddamn electric bill," she snapped, her own anger rising. "He- God, what's your problem?"
A shadow passed over his face. "My problem is that my girlfriend isn't a very selective person," he spat, venom dripping from his tone. "You spread your legs for me in, what, ten minutes? How many others are you sleeping with?"
Sophia bristled. "Fuck you," she spat back. If there was one thing that her mother had taught her, it was to never put up with anyone's shit. She turned around. "I'm leaving. Call me when you've stopped being a child." She left, making sure to slam the door behind her.
OoOoOo
Rex's lip curled. "That jackass," he commented, his words laced with disdain. He was completely disgusted. Who had raised that man? His father would have brought a belt to his ass if he'd even thought about saying anything like that to a woman. In all the years he'd insulted Sophia, insults about her sexuality or integrity had never crossed his mind. As much as he had disliked her, he knew she was loyal and genuine in her affection. Even if he hadn't, he never would have crossed that line.
Sophia never should have gone through that. Least of all from someone who was supposed to take care of her.
She nodded. "That he was," she agreed. "Now that I think of it, he was probably drunk that night."
Rex shook his head. "That doesn't give him an excuse," he told her. "Being angry and snapping at you is one thing, but he crossed a line, Princess. He shouldn't have insulted you like that."
Sophia shrugged. "Well, he did," she responded. She fixed him with a mild glare. "And if you interrupt one more time, I'm not going to finish."
He sighed. "Sorry, sorry. Please, continue."
OoOoOo
Noël was scaring her.
"I can't fucking believe you!" the man shouted as he angrily paced around the apartment. His hair was a mess and his suit was wrinkled as she felt his stress levels rise higher and higher. "It doesn't matter where we go, you can never have any decency!" Occasionally, he would slam his fist on a surface or add a little more strength to his stomps.
"Noël, I didn't do anything!" Sophia insisted. Really, she hadn't. The evening had been going relatively well before the waitress had slipped her a phone number. She had stuffed it in her purse, hoping that Noël hadn't seen it. She hadn't wanted to upset him when they were having such a lovely time.
Apparently, he had. He had begun to tear her a new one as soon as they'd stepped into the apartment.
The dark-haired man got in her face. "What's her name?" he demanded. "How long have you been seeing her, huh? Hope she's good in between the sheets!"
She pushed him away. "Stop it!" she shouted. In their weeks together, she had never seen him this angry. Well, she could get angry too. She was so sick of his shit. "You're acting like such a brat! You know I would never cheat on you! I've never seen that woman in my life."
Noël shoved her with surprising force, causing her to stumble slightly. "You're a slut!" he flared. "You'll spread your legs for anyone, won't you? Anyone but me, huh?" He grabbed both her breasts.
Sophia slapped his hands away. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" she hissed. She felt her own anger rising and she was afraid that she'd do something she'd regret. She needed to leave and she needed to leave now. "That is it, Noël Richard!" She should have done this weeks ago. She had foolishly given him the benefit of the doubt. "We're over! Have a nice fucking life!" She made to leave his apartment.
Suddenly, she was pinned against the wall. Noël stared down at her, eyes alight with a dangerous, angry fire that she had never seen from him before. "You aren't leaving me," he asserted, nails digging into her arms.
"Let go!" she yelled at him. "Noël, get of the fuck off me!" He didn't know what he was doing. He had to stop, for his sake and hers.
Instantaneously, his large hands were wrapped around her throat. "How dare you talk to me like that, bitch." The detestation in his voice threw her. It was as if he found her unfit to breathe the same air as him. She didn't think she'd ever been regarded so lowly before. "I'm going to end you." He gripped her neck with all his might.
Sophia couldn't breathe. He was trying to choke her! She gripped his wrist, pleading with him to stop via her eyes. Why was he doing this? Why did he hate her? Something suddenly shifted inside her, but she would never be able to name it. Anger? Fear? Hatred? She didn't know.
But whatever it was caused her to kick Noël square in his chest as hard as she could. The force of her kick threw him back onto the floor. She heard several sickening cracks as he made contact with the ground.
Sophia struggled to catch her breath, her eyes never leaving the crumpled form of the man. She gazed at him in confusion. She saw the odd angle of his head and the strange way his eyes glazed over, but she couldn't seem to make the connection.
It hit her all at once and she rushed over to his side. "No!" she cried, checking for a pulse. Nothing. "No, no, no!"
This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening. All her life, she had never strayed from one rule. One rule was so important to her that she had never even thought of breaking it. It had been instilled within her since birth and she had never wanted to break it.
Never take the life of another.
Yet here she was, standing over the body of a man she had killed. The one rule that meant more than anything and she had shattered it. It was at this moment that Sophia Martha Wayne knew that she would never be the same again.
OoOoOo
When she finished her story, Sophia was in tears. "I-I didn't mean to!" she wailed. She suddenly felt much smaller than she was. "I swear, Rex, I didn't mean to kill him! He... He was hurting me and I just... reacted! I didn't, I would never-!" She gave up on speaking coherently as she pressed her tearful face into her hands. She sobbed as loud as she could, months of guilt and hurt finally forcing its way out of her.
Rex was silent. He hadn't said anything since she finished her story and she couldn't help but assume the worst. He was disgusted by her. The 'no killing' rule had been ingrained into all of their (her, him, Jon, Danica, and even Mareena) heads their entire lives. They didn't kill; it went against everything that the Justice League stood for.
Sophia gasped as she was suddenly brought into his arms. "What..." she managed, thoroughly taken by surprise. "What are you doing?"
He kissed the top of her head. "It was self-defense," he told her quietly. "This wasn't your fault, Soph. He was trying to kill you."
She shook her head. "But he couldn't have!" she protested. There were very few people that could harm her with brute strength alone. Most had to be on a level with Uncle Clark and her mother to actually be able to choke her out. "I killed him for no reason!"
Rex grabbed her chin, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. "Sophia, you felt as though your life was in danger," he reminded her. "This guy wasn't a villain or even a goon; you weren't fighting him. He was trying to kill you for no reason, of course you were going to react that way. I would never judge you for that."
Sophia buried her face into the crook of his neck and continued to sob. Her parents hadn't told her that it wasn't her fault. They hadn't said it, but she knew what they were thinking. She should have had a better handle on her powers. And she hadn't thought they were wrong.
But Rex didn't blame her. He... He was treating her like she was the victim. She didn't know if that made her feel better or worse. So she just carried on with her crying.
He gently rocked her back-and-forth. "Shh," he soothed. "You're alright. I promise. I could never hate you. Everything's gonna be fine. We'll deal with this together, okay?"
She nodded because, for some reason, she believed him.
OoOoOo
Wow, loooong chapter. Did not mean for it to stretch like that. Also, I think we all need a Rex and/or Sophia in our lives. Oh, and I've been thinking of trying my hand at smut and writing the sex scene between them in full. It would be posted as its own separate story to keep this one safe for teens. If you guys are interest, please let me know. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!