Okiedokie, here we are again. Honestly, most of this chapter did not exist at all in the original, which is probably why it's long as hell now too, but I kind of completely forgot to add backstory to the original, so here, have some gratuitous fluff and exposition. I hope you enjoy, and I'll see you at the end. -J


Chapter Sixteen: First of Many

Sophie had the best ideas.

Having finally gotten around to buying Annabelle's bike, she'd taken to going out on a ride once or twice a week. It was easy to get stuck in the bubble of St. Trinian's, and while it was fun enough most of the time, it was pretty stressful. A bit of peace and solitude once in a while really was necessary. Kelly had similar habits; though she didn't leave the school, she did like some time alone once in a while to relax, so it worked out fairly well for them. However, on this occasion she was forgoing the solitary option, and dragging Jones along for the ride, literally.

It was because of this plan that she was currently making her way across the drive, taking her sweet time with it as she delighted in the sight of Kelly Jones leaning, arms folded, against her bike in black and red leathers.

She had the best ideas.

"So, where are we going?" When Soph grew close enough, Kelly tipped her head, the amusement dancing across her face spoke of exactly how obvious Sophie's distraction had been. Rather than let herself be embarrassed, Sophie doubled down, setting her helmet down beside the other on the floor before stepping up to the older girl, slipping her hands under her jacket to wrap around her waist.
"Absolutely no-where." She grinned and Jones chuckled, leaning down and meeting her middle for a kiss that genuinely made Sophie consider changing her plans for the day. When they broke apart, as if she could read her thoughts, Jones arched a brow.
"I look good in your rejects then?" She smirked down at her and Soph rolled her eyes. Yes, technically, the gear Kelly was wearing was stuff she bought for herself that didn't fit, but honestly, it was far more Kelly's style than hers. She should never shop online after she'd had a drink, she always ended up buying all kinds of crap.
"You look good in everything. You know that." She grumbled playfully back and Kelly grinned as she brought a hand up to catch the side of her face, pulling her back in for another kiss. Sophie happily obliged, taking a hand back to lean forward on the bike and keep herself from falling on the woman. She'd pretty much made up her mind to skip their trip out when Kelly pulled back.
"Come on then, show me what makes bikes so much better than cars." She nudged her away with a palm to the chest and Sophie laughed as she bent to scoop up their helmets, holding one out.
"Yes ma'am." She flashed a wolfish grin, refocused on her plans for the day once more.

Kelly was fearless. Sophie still remembered her first time on the back of a bike; she'd been terrified for a solid twenty minutes. Granted, she was six at the time, but a little apprehension before entrusting your safety to a semi-sane human going very fast on two wheels was probably more natural than complete calm and confidence. She liked to think she was getting better at reading the woman, but she had to be getting this wrong. Curious, she tipped her head as she climbed onto the bike.
"Nervous?" She smirked, but she was pretty sure Kelly could see right through her as she laughed.
"No, I trust you." She climbed up onto the back, shifting around to get comfortable before settling, thighs tight against Sophie's for balance as she leaned forward.
"You're too paranoid to take me out on this thing if you thought I'd be in danger." Her tone was teasing, but as lips pressed to her cheek Sophie realised the truth of those words. If she didn't trust herself to keep her safe, she'd never have suggested it. God, she was going soft.

She kept it fairly gentle down the long driveway, testing herself and the balance of the bike down the winding road; however, as they hit the actual roads beyond the property of the school… She couldn't help but have a little fun.

Jones, as it turned out, was an excellent passenger. She kept herself fairly still, and paid attention to the twists of the road, not interfering with Sophie's balance as she sped them off into the countryside. They couldn't really talk over the roar of the engine, so they communicated through little touches. A squeeze of Kelly's legs about her own, Sophie placing her hand over the older girl's on her stomach.

She had the best ideas.

Honestly, she wasn't paying much attention to where they were going, but as they cruised through some tiny village or other, she decided to pull into a pub for a break.

The roar of the bike left a ringing in her ears as she cut the engine and dropped the stand, stretching her legs out before her.
"Fancy a drink?" She pulled off her gloves and set to work on her helmet as Kelly climbed off, staggering a little.
"Woah, dead legs." She took a moment to right herself and Sophie chuckled as she pulled her helmet off.
"Yeah, it happens." She grinned to the other woman, who pushed her visor up with a look of great amusement.
"So does helmet hair." She snarked and Sophie's hand flew to her hair, wincing as she found it plastered against her head. Oh god.

They grabbed some seats inside, sequestering themselves in the corner of the tiny pub with their drinks. A pint for Kelly, but only coke for Sophie. Irresponsible though she may be, she never drank if she was riding.
"Thoughts?" She arched a brow, surprisingly anxious to know. Kelly tipped her head for a moment, watching her with an oddly soft smile. When she finally answered, she set down her drink, surprising Soph with a gentle kiss.
"I love it." She whispered and Soph's stomach flipped, a grin leaping to her face before she could catch it. Her chest felt tight, full of something she couldn't name. It almost hurt. Unsure what to do, she caught the side of Kelly's face and she kissed her again, lingering until the feeling passed and her heart slowed before she had to move away. They were in public, and she didn't particularly feel like getting kicked out of a tiny pub today.

Hell, she really must have changed if she was considering getting thrown out of somewhere as a bad thing.

Still, she tossed that thought aside and took a drink, still grinning like an idiot as Kelly smirked.
"When did you start riding anyway?" The older girl tipped her head and Soph shrugged.
"Took my CBT when I turned seventeen, but I've been stealing bikes since I was fifteen." She flashed a grin but Kelly seemed to have gained a thoughtful expression.
"There was something in your file about a bike?" She seemed unsure, Soph nodded, looking away.
"Michaelson Academy." She couldn't help the dark edge to her tone as she took a drink, her eyes on the table. She felt Kelly take her free hand and squeeze it gently, she returned the pressure with a sad smile, keeping her attention on the old wood.
"I er… Stole it from one of the teachers. It was pretty stupid, I was very, very drunk." She eyed the ice in her drink thoughtfully.
"Ended up crashing into some kind of statue in a village nearby, it had a particularly pointy iron fence around it." Without really noticing, she set down her drink and ran her hand over her ribs, Kelly's fingers squeezed hers.

She dwelled on the memory for a moment, it was hazy and mostly lost to inebriation and head injury, but faint echoes of voices, distant ringing of pain, that feeling of drowning on dry land as her lung filled with blood… It lingered. Blinking rapidly, she pulled herself back, turning to the other woman.
"I was in pretty bad shape for a few months after; Mum figured it'd probably scared me straight enough to send me to a normal school. She was pretty wrong about that." She managed half a grin and the other woman smirked.
"Idiot." She shook her head but her tone was far from reprimanding, Soph picked up her glass and gave it a pointed shake.
"You live, you learn. I never drink when I'm driving now and I always wear the right gear…" She paused to take a drink.
"… And I try to avoid crashing into fences, where possible." Not wanting to let the conversation linger of painful topics, she opted to lighten the mood and was grateful when Jones went with it, laughing along and letting the subject drop.

They stuck around for lunch, but after that they rode further into the countryside, climbing up hills and weaving back down until Soph decided to pull over.
"Why're we stopping?" Kelly's frown was audible but Soph shrugged, nudging her leg to tell her to jump off.
"I'm abandoning you here." She teased, but as Jones remained where she was she nudged her leg again.
"C'mon, humour me." She pulled off her helmet and glanced over her shoulder, unable to hear it but more than aware of Kelly's long suffering sigh as she finally climbed off, pushing up her visor.
"If I must." She smirked and Sophie laughed as she locked up the bike.
"Well, if you really object, I'd love to see you drive yourself back." She straightened back up with a smirk and found Kelly watching her, helmet in hand and that enigmatic Kelly Jones smile on her face.
"Do you want me to run you through all the ways I could get home from here without you?" She deadpanned and Soph rolled her eyes, stalking past the older girl and off of the road.
"Such a kill-joy!" She called back over her shoulder, unable to keep from smirking to herself as she listened to Jones' laughter behind her.

She led them to the edge of the hill they'd just ridden up, the sharp drop off had caught her attention and she smiled at the vast expanse of space before her as she stood, staring out over the fields. So peaceful.
"So is this what you do?" Kelly's voice came close behind her and she turned to find her sitting down on the grass.
"Hm?" She hummed her question, dropping down to sit beside her, staring at nothing in particular.
"Ride out to random patches of countryside and pose dramatically on hilltops." She teased and Sophie chuckled.
"Well, there's not normally anyone around to see the posing, but I suppose." She shrugged.
"Oh? I thought bad-girls used bikes and sexy leather to score?" Feigned confusion did nothing to hide Kelly's barely contained laughter as she shifted, putting her hands out behind her to recline comfortably. Soph arched a brow, almost offended.
"Bad-girl? Really?" She screwed up her face in mock disgust even as she repressed a chuckle.
"Oh please, you're a walking stereotype and you know it." Kelly smirked as if she dared her to deny it, mischief dancing in her eyes. Sophie scowled playfully, but eventually she shrugged, redirecting her attention to the scenery.
"I suppose." She huffed, dropping back to prop herself up on her elbows, tipping her head to rest against Kelly's ribs. After a moment, she sighed.
"But no. Contrary to popular belief, I didn't really do a lot of… that." She frowned at nothing in particular, her mind running over the few hundred rumours that existed regarding her sex life.
"Yeah, me neither." It was barely a whisper, spoken almost as a sigh, but Soph heard it. For a moment she bit her lip, unsure if she should ask, but curiosity nagged at her.
"How come? I mean… I don't know if you've met you, but er…" She managed a slight smirk, despite knowing it wouldn't be seen, and for a moment Kelly said nothing. Instead, she shifted, dropping down to lay on her back, staring up at the sky. Sophie moved with her, resting her head on her stomach and unable to keep from smiling as long fingers began carding through her hair.
"I've had a few casual things… Nothing public, and nothing particularly emotional. Only Polly ever really knew about any of them." She felt the older girl shrug as she watched a bird fly over them.
"I don't know, I liked sex, but I was always kind of busy, even before I became head girl, so anything beyond that just didn't really interest me." She sighed, Soph reached up with her free hand to catch the one not in her hair. She was bad at words, so a gentle squeeze of her fingers would have to do.

"You pissed me off so much, you know?" Kelly chuckled and Sophie gave a snort.
"I can imagine, but why specifically?" She arched a brow at nothing in particular and Kelly huffed.
"Because you were definitely up to something and couldn't be trusted as far as I could throw you, but you were annoyingly hot." The petulant scowl behind her voice pulled a laugh from Sophie's lips. The hand in her hair paused to swat her gently in the forehead.
"Shut up." It was a fond reprimand, Sophie dialled her laughter back to a grin.
"I was conflicted as hell over you. When I finally gave in, I convinced myself it wasn't anything serious, that, if anything, it would help me keep a better eye on you. It was pretty obvious you were trying not to be interested, and failing, miserably." Her tone turned teasing and Sophie glanced up with a scowl, only to be met with a far too soft smile on the older girl's face. She quickly returned her gaze to the sky.
"So I think I tried to pretend it was a trap for you, rather than just giving in." She chuckled and Sophie smirked to herself.
"Good to know we were both delusional." She snarked, but it lost its edge in the wake of a wistful smile that overtook her amusement.

They fell into comfortable silence and remained for a little longer on top of the hill, watching as the sun approached the horizon. When the edges of the sky began to turn pink, Sophie sighed, disentangling herself from older girl and sitting up, propping herself up on one hand to smile down at her.
"We'd better head back." She spoke gently, the peace of the area compelling her to keep her voice low. Kelly's hand came up to rest over the back of her neck, gently pulling her down until their lips met in a sweet kiss; lingering but oddly chaste. When she finally moved back, the older girl smiled.
"Let's go home."

All the way, Sophie was lost in thought, the cold night air keeping her alert even as her mind lingered on Kelly, warm against her back. What were they? Well, they were dating, that was what they were… but what the hell did she feel?

I love it.

She repressed a shudder and swallowed hard against the words echoing in her mind. Was that what it was? Did she…? Damned if she knew.

She shoved the thought away for now and focused on driving, she was no-where near ready to unpack that shit right now.

The cold air finally started to catch up to them as the sun went down, so by the time they made it up to their room, a hot shower was definitely on the cards. Soph shivered as she shed her jacket, hanging it up on the back of the door.
"Do you want to go first?" Kelly glanced over and Soph made to answer, but paused, considering… Biting her lip, she struggled with herself for a moment. Could she…? She turned toward the older woman sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off her boots. She might not have any idea exactly what her feelings were toward her, but if nothing else… She knew she trusted her. Quickly turning away, she dropped into the desk chair, keeping her eyes on the floor as she worked to remove her own boots.
"Why not share one?" She forced herself to keep her tone light, pointedly ignoring the way Kelly paused, clearly trying to decide if she'd heard that right. After a long silence, she stood, shrugging out of her jacket.
"I wouldn't say no, if you wanted to." Her smirk was audible, but there was a layer of concern beneath it that pulled an odd warmth into Soph's chest. Yeah, she was sure.

Dragging a wolfish grin onto her face, she stood, walking with as much confidence as she could muster toward the older girl and catching her about the waist. Her prediction was dead on, and the worry dancing in her eyes was touching. Sophie let her grin drop to a soft smile, leaning up.
"Warmer that way." She tipped her head and watched the worry fade as Kelly's arms fell about her shoulders, replaced by a delightful smirk.
"Hm, you make a good point." She leaned down and they were done with words. Neither of them were great at expressing things out loud, any time they tried it was generally filled with a lot of staring at the ground and mumbling, but this was something they were much better at. Something they understood.

Sophie staggered backwards into the bathroom, grinning against Kelly's lips as they clumsily meandered their way to the shower. They had to break apart as the older girl reached in to turn on the water and Sophie took the opportunity to divest herself of her shirt before Kelly turned back and she could recapture her lips once more. Hands fell to her waist and Soph ignored the twitch in the back of her mind. It was Kelly, and it was fine. She gave an impatient hum and yanked the woman's shirt from her waistband, continuing up until they had to break apart for her to pull it off over her head. Kelly chuckled and the sound dragged a delicious shiver up Sophie's spine and she surged forward the moment her hands were free, wrapping her arms tight around the taller girl's shoulders to pull her down. Apparently able to take a hint, Kelly's arms wound around her waist, pulling them flush together and dragging a groan from Sophie at the sensation. Every inch of skin that pressed together felt like it was burning, and Soph wouldn't let go if you paid her.

The rest of their clothes were eventually tossed aside and they found themselves under the torrent of steaming water. Lips trailed after rivulets of water and hands slid over every inch of skin they could find. Impatient, Soph turned them around, pushing the taller girl up against the tile and unable to hide her grin as she gasped at the cold.
"Little shit." She smirked down at her and Soph chuckled as she leaned up.
"Yes?" She silenced any response by crushing their lips together, but bent to hook a hand under Kelly's knee and lift until a long leg hooked over her hip.

Wasting no time, she pulled back and ducked her head, trailing down the column of her throat and not stopping there. Long fingers pushed her hair from her eyes and gripped tightly as she grazed her teeth over the woman's hip, coaxing her leg up onto her shoulder. Pressing her lips to inside of her thigh, Sophie risked a glance up, only to be met with a sight that made her glad she was already kneeling. Kelly, flushed and leaning back against the tile, chest heaving and eyes dark as she stared down at her, hands tight in her hair and pulling her to where she wanted her to be.

God, this woman.

Never one to deny her, Sophie quickly did as she was bid, delighting in the sounds that echoed off of the walls.

She could have stayed there forever, but soon enough the grip on her hair tightened painfully and the sinful moan that filled the air sent the low heat in her gut blazing uncontrollably. She forced her eyes open to watch as she eased her through, a groan rumbling from her throat at the sight of Kelly, head thrown back, gasping under the torrent of water.

This fucking woman.

The moment she slumped back against the wall, the thigh left her shoulder and Sophie was dragged back up into a bruising kiss, teeth catching her lip and biting down hard as she was pulled tight against the other woman. She allowed herself a moan and could do nothing but hold on for dear life as she was dragged around to press against the wall, slipping on the wet ceramic floor and all but falling against the cold tile with nothing but Kelly for support. She didn't disappoint, keeping her upright until she could pin her the against the wall, a knee slipping between hers and pressing up, encouraging a shameless whine and a roll of her hips in search of any kind of friction. She was lost, completely, unable to focus on anything but the heat and the cold and the woman pressed against her.
"Kelly." It was practically a whimper, and honestly she had no idea what she was asking for. Fortunately, the woman herself clearly understood as a hand slid down over her stomach to where she absolutely needed it. Her gasp at the contact turned into a strangled moan as lips trailed down over her chest; Kelly clearly intent on exploring every inch of the skin she'd been denied until now. The combination had Sophie rushing toward the edge at a painfully fast pace, her arm flinging out to grab the shower fixture for something to hold on to as the other clung tightly to the older girl.
"Fuck." She cursed through grit teeth and gripped tighter, her head dropping forward as she gasped; water flowing freely down her face. It was too much, she couldn't… She couldn't even finish her thought and somehow, Kelly seemed to know, abandoning her chest so catch the side of her face with her free hand, coaxing her head upright and pressing gentle kisses to her lips.
"Open your eyes." She spoke against her lips, her tone dark but soothing as her other hand slowed it's relentless pace. It took her a moment, but Sophie managed to do as she was told, dragging her eyes open to meet the woman's gaze. Pupils blown and face flushed, Kelly's eyes were sinfully dark, but dancing behind all that was that soft unnameable edge that tied Sophie's stomach into knots and tightened her chest, and now it eased all but the most delicious tension from her, the hand on her face keeping her grounded until she could drag her arms to hook around the older girls neck and pull her back down into a deep, smouldering kiss, just in time for her hips to jerk and her back to arch, removing any space between them as she toppled over the edge, clinging to Kelly like she was the only solid thing in the world.

Fucking hell… She loved this woman.

That thought froze her blood in her veins, but as her body relaxed she decided to shove it aside for now, chalking it up to a spur of the moment thought, based on raging hormones and endorphins. Instead she allowed herself to drop her head onto the woman's shoulder, every ounce of tension easing from her as if it were running down the drain at their feet.
"Definitely warmer this way." Kelly's voice floated gently into her ear and she managed a weak chuckle.
"Might go as far as to say pretty hot." She snarked back and grinned as the woman hummed her agreement.
"You're not wrong." Lips pressed to her jaw and a gentle hand coaxed her head back.
"Come on, let's get clean before the hot water runs out." She smiled gently and stepped back, giving Soph time to right herself and shrug away from the wall, ducking her face under the flow of water to drag her senses back even a little. While she was facing away, arms appeared around her waist and pulled her back, lips pressing to the back of her neck. She realised then what she'd done. Of course, it had kind of been the point of this whole thing, to finally trust another human being with the stark reminder of her past, the lingering scars from four years past. Jesus, it had only been four years? Four years, five schools and a twisted spiral of criminal behaviour and terrible coping mechanisms.

She remained still for a long moment, letting Kelly process what she was seeing and giving her time to organise her thoughts before gently turning herself around; almost afraid to meet the woman's eyes, but she forced herself. This would need to be addressed, and now was as good a time as any.

Sadness, a little pain, a hard line of anger, and an overwhelming wave of that gentle softness was all that stared back at her. No pity, no disgust or horror. Sophie couldn't help the sad smile that pulled at her lips as she reached up, pulling the taller woman down into a gentle kiss and hoping it conveyed enough of her thoughts to make this okay. When they broke apart, Kelly managed an understanding smile and Soph nodded, stepping back and gesturing to her stomach, where sat a very specific, still very dark, thick scar.
"Pointy railings." She smirked, but it grew into a grin as Kelly laughed, shaking her head as she grabbed the shampoo.
"Mad woman. Come on, you first." She brandished the bottle and Sophie chuckled as she turned around. Yeah, they'd be okay.

They took their time, gently washing each other's hair and lazily kissing under the warm water until it grew cold. When they finally climbed out, they remained wrapped in towels, going through the standard domestic routine of getting ready for bed before they finally settled together under the covers. A little over-warm from their extended shower, they forwent their usual night wear and didn't wrap around each other as they usually would. Instead, the stuck to their sides and extended a hand across the space between them, fingers entwined tightly in the dark.
"Goodnight, Soph." Kelly spoke quietly, fingers squeezing gently, and Soph couldn't help but smile at the softness of her tone.
"'Night Kel'." She muttered back, returning the pressure, letting her eyes drop shut.

She was asleep within moments, the effort of the day finally catching up to her.

The final term of the school year started up and honestly, not much happened. Sophie supposed even St. Trinian's couldn't be pure chaos all the time and the rest of the school year passed with as much normalcy as could be expected. Chavs and Emos fought on, the Geeks traded in stocks to build up the small fortune they'd amassed and the twins kept the steady income coming in from their dealings with Flash. It was almost peaceful.

As summer approached, the place was busy; final exams, yearbooks, parties… the usual school activities done in true St. Trinian's style. All that, she could handle, however, something was looming dangerously in the back of her mind… Kelly would be graduating.

It was a good thing, of course, she couldn't stay in school forever, and she was already getting job offers by the boat load. Apparently, the Head Girl in charge of the St. Trinian's Golden Age was a hot commodity for several industries. Go figure. So she was happy for her, obviously, but the fact that she would be leaving, moving out of the school and starting her adult life elsewhere… It was terrifying. Sophie still had another year to do, and while she would be perfectly happy to drop out and follow her, she didn't want to be some dead weight, dragging behind her as she took on the world…

So far, she hadn't dared to ask.

She didn't know what answer she expected, or what answer she wanted to hear. If she wanted to end this so she could go out into the world without ties to anyone, she would understand that… Staying together would be hard; they were very used to existing in each other's space. How would they do with so much distance between them?

So, like an adult, she'd been avoiding the problem, using the pretext of the busy school to stay out of their room until she knew the woman would be asleep, getting dressed quickly in the morning and dashing off to take care of a million things. It was ridiculous, and going on the look on Kelly's face every time she dashed out of the room, she knew exactly what was going on, but she couldn't help it… All in all, she was scared, and as a coward, she reserved the right to run away and avoid her problems for as long as humanly possible.

Of course, that time was rapidly running out, and as she was supervising the movement of Kelly's portrait from the art room to the main hall, she felt, more than heard, the woman's presence behind her. She didn't turn around, keeping her eyes on the first years as they nudged it left and right, trying to hang it straight. The decision to move it hadn't actually been hers or Kelly's, but a popular request from the students. There was talk of making it a tradition, to hang a portrait of each head girl somewhere around the school at the end of their reign, but for now, everyone was just happy to have some commemoration of The Infamous Kelly Jones.
"Are we going to talk about it, or are you going to keep hiding until I leave?" The familiar voice reached her ears, confirming the woman's presence behind her and Soph sighed.
"Hiding is easier." She grumbled, nodding to the first years as they left, leaving the pair of them stood staring up at the painting. After a long silence, Sophie sighed.
"So you noticed then…" It was supposed to be light-hearted, but it came out edged in guilt, she jammed her hands into her pockets to keep from fidgeting.
"You've been coming to bed after I've gone to sleep for a week. Either something's up or you're cheating on me." Kelly scoffed and Sophie snorted at the very idea.
"Good point." She ducked her head and ran a hand over the back of her neck, she hadn't really been in the mood, given the stress looming in the back of her mind, so she hadn't really noticed… But Kelly was right, they hadn't slept together in roughly a week, which for them, was actually a pretty long time.
"…and we both know that isn't happening." The older woman clarified and Soph nodded her appreciation for the trust. She might be a dickhead, but she wasn't about to cheat on the most amazing woman on the goddamn planet.
"Not in a thousand years." She muttered, risking a glance at the woman. She didn't look mad, just a little… tired. At that comment, she managed a crooked smile, but it was clear they were still going to have this conversation. Returning her gaze to the painting, she let out a long breath.
"You're leaving." She barely managed to say it loud enough that she heard it, let alone Kelly, but apparently the other woman heard her.
"And?" She encouraged and Soph bit her lip, struggling to find the words.
"And I don't know what happens now. I've never- I don't- Ugh…" She dragged her hands over her face. Why was she so bad at this? Thankfully, as always, Kelly seemed to understand.
"Yes, I do have to leave, and you have another year here." Sophie turned to interject but she held up a hand to stop her, apparently still reading her mind.
"Yes. You do." She scowled until Soph's mouth snapped shut, but they remained facing each other. Her heart was sinking in her chest, they were going to separate… No matter what, Kelly was leaving and she was staying… Apparently her sadness made it onto her face as the woman's expression softened, stepping forward and wrapping her arms about her waist.
"Don't sulk." She sighed and Soph cast her gaze to the floor. This was it, this was the end.
"We both knew we wouldn't be at school forever, and it's only a year." Kelly gave her waist a gentle squeeze and Soph's head snapped up.
"I can visit, I don't know where I'll be, but during the holidays…" The older girl wasn't looking, staring off at nothing in particular as she seemed to be rambling to herself, a pink tint crawling its way up her neck under her choker.

She would visit? Only a year?

Her brain managed that much before she rushed forward, silencing any further rambling with a kiss so full of relief and just a little bit of desperation. Kelly gave a startled noise but responded quickly, the tension in her shoulders melting away as they both realised the truth. They wanted to keep this going. They wanted to stay together.

Thank fuck for that.

"Sophie?" A voice broke the moment and Soph's heart froze in her chest. Kelly pulled back in confusion, turning to look at the intruder but Sophie didn't need to. She knew that voice. Slowly, she disentangled herself from the taller girl and turned to face a man she hadn't seen in six years.
"Dad?"

There he was, lounging in the doorway, looking pretty much exactly the same as he had the last time she'd seen him. He was tall, wiry, dressed in an impeccably tailored three piece suit, all black from head to toe. Apparently his hair had started to rebel, the pure black she had inherited (and went to great pains to dye her personal favourite 'fuck-off' red) was starting to grey around the temples, the start of sliver streaks cutting through his slicked back style. He was still clean shaven, his face so similar to hers… Really it was no wonder her mother hated her. Finally his eyes, that same dark grey that he'd passed on to her, currently fixed on the pair of them, still standing so close together in the vast entrance.
"Long time no see." She arched a brow, taking a step forward, but no more. His lips twisted into a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Good to see you, kid. How've you been?" He smirked and tipped his head, Sophie shrugged.
"Not bad, getting by. How about you? How's the family?" She made an effort not to sound bitter, she liked to think it went well as he mirrored her shrug, tucking his hands into his pockets and moving further into the room. She held her ground, letting him draw closer until they were only a couple of metres apart.
"Fine, everyone's doing great. Lucy's taller than you now." He chuckled and Sophie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course her half-sibling would already be taller than her, her dad's new wife, Emily, was a tall, elegant woman. A model, if she remembered right.
"Sounds about right." She manged a smile, though she knew it wouldn't so much as touch her eyes. Fortunately, at that moment, Camilla's door opened.
"Richard! Good to see you again." She strode over, purposefully putting herself between them as she gripped his arm. Sophie repressed a smirk at his brief flash of obvious discomfort. Camilla always scared him just a little, she saw through his bullshit.
"Camilla, aren't you a sight for sore eyes. You look radiant as always." It didn't stop him trying of course, as he winked to the woman, who gave a giggle, playing into it.
"Oh, behave yourself. Now, what brings you to my lovely school?" Camilla she batted his arm a little harder than was probably necessary and Richard cleared his throat, gesturing to Sophie.
"Does a father need an occasion to visit his daughter?" He paused and Sophie took half a step closer to Kelly, whose hand gently brushed against the back of hers. It was comforting, easing some of the tension from her shoulders. She didn't like this situation, she hadn't seen or spoken to him in years, why was he here?
"But, since you mention it, I'm here to collect Sophie, and take her home with me." He smiled cheerily as though he were handing over a large sum of money to some prize winner but Sophie physically flinched, her mind going almost completely blank but for one word.

No.

Camilla turned to give her a searching look, Kelly did not, her attention reminding fixed on the man in front of them while Sophie floundered. He was here to take her away, he was going to make her leave. She couldn't…
"Have you discussed this with Sophie herself?" Apparently detecting her complete loss of function, Camilla turned back to her ex-brother-in-law, who arched a brow, clearly not getting the response he expected.
"Now you've finally kicked your Mom to the curb I figured you'd be coming to stay with me. I've got you a place at an excellent school, you'll love it." He grinned, but finally Sophie's mind caught up to her mouth and she cleared her throat.
"I left Mum's so I could stay here, I'm not leaving." She raised her chin defiantly and the man seemed taken aback.
"You're kidding right? This dump?" He scoffed and Camilla visibly bristled, in the corner of her eye, Soph caught the death glare radiating off of Kelly. Instead of rising to the bait, she bit her tongue, arching a brow almost in perfect copy of his trademark arrogance.
"Excuse me?" Her tone was ice, his amusement faded in an instant.
"This place is a shit hole. You're coming home with me, graduating from a good school, and coming to work with me." His jaw was set as he stared down at her, she folded her arms, cocking her hip and shifting her weight into the universal pose of stubborn defiance.
"No, I'm not." She paused as she considered his words, her eyes narrowing.
"I thought Andy was supposed to do that anyway, is he not quite what you expected?" She slipped in the snide remark and repressed a victorious grin as she watched the flash of anger in his eyes. Right on the money then. Her dear half-brother was an idiot, a violent brat too used to his own way. Emily had insisted they stop visiting after Sophie handed his ass to him for the fifth or sixth time.
"You're still my kid. You're seventeen. If I want to take you with me, you're going to do as you're told." He glowered and she allowed herself a sneer.
"Have I ever done as I'm told, Dad?" Her disdain dripped off of the word, showing exactly how few fucks she gave in regards to his parental control.
"As I recall, Richard, you waved rights to custody in the divorce. Sophie is my sister's responsibility, and she has decreed that she is to stay here." Camilla interjected and Sophie felt a wave of appreciation to the woman and a wash of relief that the man didn't actually have any legal rights backing him up. In pure reflex, she stepped closer to Kelly, catching her hand and squeezing tightly. Dark grey eyes flickered down at the action, a slow and far too snide smirk curling his lips.
"Oh, I see why you want to stay." He chuckled, but the humour behind it was cold. Sophie repressed a shiver.
"Who's your friend here?" He tipped his head and Sophie cleared her throat.
"Kelly Jones." Kelly stepped forward, offering her free hand. Richard smirked as he took it, obviously using a firm grip in an attempt to intimidate. Kelly didn't even blink.
"Richard Daniels." He let go and Kelly returned to her side, standing comfortably close.
"I take it you're the one she wants to stay for?" Apparently choosing to ignore Sophie herself, he spoke directly to Kelly, who huffed out a humourless laugh.
"I don't control her." She shrugged and Sophie had to repress a bark of laughter at how ridiculously untrue that statement was, though in a different context.
"Sophie, if it's just a pretty girl you're after, there's a million in New York, hell, Emily can set you up with some models if you want." He rolled his eyes as though the idea were tedious and Soph scrunched her nose, affronted.
"One, that's gross. Two, I'm staying here because I like it here. This is my place." She raised her chin and he stared her down for a long moment. Eventually, he sighed, clearly aware he was outnumbered and at a disadvantage. The cold mask cracked just a little as he ran a hand over his hair. He looked tired.
"You really are too much like me, kid." He grumbled, shaking his head. Letting out a long breath, Sophie let go of Kelly's hand and stepped forward.
"Let's go for a walk." She nodded to the door and he arched a brow in confusion, but nodded, gesturing for her to lead the way. As they walked, Soph glanced back over her shoulder, shooting Kelly a reassuring look and receiving a nod in return, trust clear in her face. They would be left alone while they talked.

Together they made their way around the grounds.
"What're you doing here, Dad?" She sighed, her eyes on the path ahead and her hands in her pockets. He kept pace beside her, mirroring her actions seemly without thought. Honestly, she loved her Dad, they always got along really well and he'd taken good care of her when she was a kid. Even after the divorce and the move, they'd had twice yearly visits, emails, letters… Then Emily started getting huffy, dragging his focus onto their two 'perfect' children and away from the scruffy hooligan hanging on from his life before her, so by the time she turned twelve, their relationship had been relegated to a couple gifts a year.
"I don't know, kid. Your mum called, gave me the run down on the last few years… I guess I figured it was my job to come save you." His voice was gruff, she couldn't help but smile even as she shook her head.
"As if I need saving." She scoffed and he actually managed a laugh.
"See, that's how I know you're my girl." He tipped his head back to smirk at the sky and she chuckled.
"I am that, so you should know I'm not going anywhere if I don't want to." She cast him a scowl and he gave a heavy sigh.
"I guess I should've. It's been a while, guess I forgot how dammed stubborn you are." He clapped a hand onto her shoulder and she rolled her eyes, leaning in to nudge him back.
"Well don't forget it. And play nice with my missus before I set your car on fire." She grinned mischievously and he tossed his head back as he laughed, halting their progress as he struggled to contain himself. Sophie folded her arms across her chest, waiting.

When he finally managed to stop, he mustered a surprisingly genuine look of apology.
"Right, yeah, sorry. I wasn't expecting a refusal, then she stepped up… I bit back out of habit. You got a strong one there, pretty too." He honestly seemed a little proud, Sophie felt herself puff up, just a bit.
"You don't know the half of it." She cast a small smile back toward the school, where she imagined the woman would be pacing restlessly in Camilla's office. When she turned back, she found her dad watching her with a soft smile.
"You love that girl." It wasn't an accusation, it was a statement, and Sophie took a step back, holding up her hands.
"No, no! I mean… She's- er… But I…" She floundered and he cracked up once more, throwing an arm about her shoulders and yanking her tight against his side. To hide from the situation she buried her face in his jacket.
"It's okay, kid. You figure it out in your own time. If that girl has a decent head on her shoulders, she'll wait for you to sort it out." He spoke quietly into her hair and she sighed, slinging an arm about his waist to return the impromptu hug.
"Thanks, Dad." She muttered into dark material and couldn't help but smile as he squeezed her tighter.
"I got your back, kid."

They made their way back to the school and, sure enough, found Kelly and Camilla in the Head Teacher's office. Kelly wasn't pacing, but going on the way she quickly got to her feet, and the empty whiskey glass on the coffee table, she hadn't been far off. Sophie gave her a reassuring smile, shutting the door behind them as she gestured between the two.
"Kelly, I'd like you to meet my dad, Richard Daniels. Dad, this is my girlfriend, Kelly Jones." She stepped to one side as the pair met in the middle, taking each other's hands in a far less bruising handshake.
"I apologise for my poor behaviour earlier, I've always had a bad temper. I hope you can forgive me." He clasped her hand in both of his and she seemed sceptical for a moment, staring him down. After a long pause, the tension in her shoulders seemed to ease away, and she nodded.
"It's nice to meet you properly." She smirked and her dad grinned, releasing her hand.
"You too." Clearly some understanding had been reached.

He stuck around for another hour, but had to duck out when work called for the sixth time, parting with a tight hug and a promise to keep in touch. Sophie didn't put too much stock in such an oath, but it would be nice to talk properly again.

Leaving Camilla's office, they made their way off toward the dining hall; dinner would be starting soon.
"I've got a job." Kelly finally dropped the news she'd clearly been carrying for a few days while Sophie avoided her and honestly, it wasn't even a surprise.
"Finally picked one then?" She spoke to the floor, apparently having a lot of conversations with the scenery today.
"MI7. It seemed like my kind of thing." Kelly chuckled and Sophie took a moment to digest this information. She was going to be a spy.

Only at St. Trinian's would that seem perfectly plausible.

"Agent Jones…" She tried it out, unable to help the smirk that pulled at one corner of her lips at how cool it sounded. Shaking her head at her own thoughts, she caught the woman's hand, entwining their fingers as they reached the hall.
"Not bad." She cast her a grin that Kelly returned as she pushed through the doors, ready to enjoy their last few weeks of term; secure in the knowledge that even though geography was going to become a problem, it would be a problem they handled together.

It didn't make parting any easier.

Summer flew by with astonishing speed and before Sophie could so much as blink, term was starting tomorrow and it was time for Kelly to leave. They'd packed up over the course of the week, Sophie's stuff moving into one of the staff bedrooms, curtesy of her aunt, who wasn't above a little nepotism once in a while. It kind of made sense, given Sophie's technically homeless status, the school was the only place she had to keep anything and trying to fit your whole life into a shared dorm was next to impossible. That, and if Kelly was going to be visiting, the woman had clearly decided it would be better for the two of them to have space to themselves to… catch up. Kelly's things had mostly been sent home, Alice happy to store them for her until she came back from training and got a place of her own. There were a couple of boxes with her stuff in them in Sophie's new room, a silent reminder that she would be coming back, everything else was packed neatly into a couple of bags to go with her.

With nothing else to do, no further tasks to delay them, they'd made their way down to the drive, where sat Kelly's car, ready to take her far away. So this is where she was, sat on the bonnet of the flashy red convertible, suddenly loathing it from wheels to wing mirrors for being the thing to take Kelly away from her, but even as she scowled at it, running her hand over the glossy paint, she couldn't bring herself to object. She was an asshole, but she wasn't that selfish.

Kelly had been trying. She'd been doing her best to keep her own reluctance hidden, to seem certain and sure as the weeks ticked by. Maybe Sophie knew her too well, or maybe Kelly was just losing her touch, but it had been bloody obvious that if she'd asked, really asked, the woman would stay in a heart beat. For that very reason, Sophie couldn't. If Kelly was willing to do anything for her, it would be nothing short of disgraceful for her not to offer the exact same in return.

Ugh, being a good person sucked.

Still, she sucked it up and dragged a smile onto her face as she heard the car door shut, turning to watch Kelly walk around to stand in front of her. She shifted her legs so the woman could stand between them, reflexively lifting her hands to settle on her waist as she stared up at her.

She looked sad. Sophie knew she probably looked quite similar, smiling but… sad.
"I've got to go, it's a long drive." The woman sighed, arms falling to rest about Sophie's shoulders, fingers carding through her hair seemingly out of habit. Sophie couldn't help the way her shoulders relaxed at the touch. Really, it was starting to get quite Pavlovian.
"Yeah, you'd better." She offered a half-hearted smirk back, making no effort to let go of her waist. Kelly chuckled and leaned down, bringing their lips together that pushed the boundaries of what they should be doing in public but neither of them cared.

Reluctantly, they broke apart and Sophie sighed, letting her head drop forward for a moment, resting against the woman's chest as she let her smile fade for a beat. The arms around her tightened and Soph pulled her closer. She only meant for it to be a moment, but the embrace lasted as long as it could. However, as Kelly's phone sounded its alarm, alerting them that it was actually the time she needed to leave or be late, Sophie forced back her sadness and managed another smile, lifting her head.
"All right." She gently coaxed the woman back and stood, her hands now only resting on her hips, though they itched to pull her close once more.
"Look after the place for me." Kelly nodded toward the school but didn't look away, her gaze soft. Soph gave a crooked smirk.
"Yes ma'am. You look after yourself." She gave her a falsely stern look and Kelly laughed.
"I will. Talk to you soon." She leaned down and they shared one last lingering kiss before they let go entirely, Sophie moving to one side as Kelly climbed into the car. She jammed her hands into her pockets as she immediately missed the warmth of the other woman, swallowing hard against the tightness in her chest as she watched her glance back, a gentle smile on her irritatingly beautiful face.
"See you." She called back and Soph pushed herself to maintain her smile, offering nothing back but a wave.

With that, she watched her drive away, lingering in the empty driveway until the bright red car vanished into the trees.

She was gone.

God, she needed a drink.

Her aunt understood her sombre mood instantly upon her arrival and poured her a glass of whisky, leaving the bottle on the desk between them as she slumped into the seat across from her.
"She'll be back, girly." Camilla's tone was sympathetic and Soph hummed in acknowledgement as she drained her glass. She knew she would, it didn't make it suck any less that she was gone though. Pouring herself another drink, she reached into the inside pocket of her jacket, fishing out the envelope Kelly had given her for the Headmistress. She didn't explain as she tossed it onto the desk, settling back in her chair to sip at her drink.
"Ah! Her recommendation for the next head girl?" Her aunt scooped up the letter with apparent great interest, wasting no time in breaking it open to read. When she was done, she looked surprised.
"Annabelle? I would have thought she'd choose you." She tipped the badge out from the bottom of the envelope and turned it over in her hand thoughtfully. Sophie shrugged.
"We talked about it, I'd go nuts within days. Annabelle's a good choice, she's better at managing people." She smirked slightly at the thought; the soon-to-be head girl was going to have real trouble at the start. Everyone would be sure to jump to imply nepotism. However, the girl was really shaping up to be quite a piece of work; Soph had faith she would be able to rise to the task. Camilla seemed to agree as she grinned and put the note to one side.
"Very well, I'll trust with our dear Miss Jones on that one." She winked and Soph managed a weak smile.
"She usually knows what she's talking about." They shared a laugh at how true that was and settled into a comfortable silence as they shared a drink. Eventually, however, the chiming of the grandfather clock alerted them to the time and Sophie sighed, draining the rest of her glass and standing.
"I'd better get to bed, new arrivals tomorrow." She stretched her arms up above her head and her aunt smiled fondly.
"Another year at St. Trinian's." The woman spoke with a mixture of excitement, trepidation and affection owed to such a prospect. Sophie flashed a wolfish grin.
"Bring it on." Turning on her heel, she strode from the room, shooting a wave over her shoulder at her aunt as she left.
"Goodnight, Miss."

She meandered her way slowly through the school, partially to enjoy the empty halls while they lasted, and partially to avoid the painfully empty bedroom that awaited her. Still, she had to get there eventually, and as she entered she slumped back against the door, sighing heavily at the space that would be her bedroom for the next year. Home sweet home.

She left most of her stuff in its bags and boxes, in no mood for unpacking tonight. Instead, she tumbled into bed, her back to the empty side as she let her eyes drop shut, prepared for a restless night as she settled into the first of many without the older girl wrapped around her.

Ugh, when did she become such a sap?


Well there we have it, Kelly's gone.

I hope you all liked the ride in the countryside, I wrote the bike into the original because I really wanted to learn, but now I actually own one it seemed like a great idea to expand on it. I fixed Sophie's Dad as well, he was never supposed to be that much of an ass, but he really came out as one in the old copy. He's still not a great person, but he's better. I hope you all enjoyed reading, and I hope to see you again next week. - J