A/N: SCITT stands for School Centered Initial Teacher Training. As that indicates it's a teacher training program in the UK.
"Sian!" she faintly heard in the distance.
She stopped and turned around on the street. Charging out of the Rovers she had built up such a head of steam that she was singularly focused on one thing: finding Sophie. Now. But as she turned around she saw a fellow walking her way. He had on a tweed jacket and spectacles, definitely more of a square than the other punters around the Rovers. Whoever he was he stuck out like a sore thumb, particularly since it was a game day.
"Yes?" she asked as he approached.
"Oh yeah we've not really met formally...I'm Alex. A friend of Sophie's…" he stuttered as he stuck out his hand.
She nodded, still unsure what this was all about.
"She showed me your picture on her phone" he said nervously.
"Oh yeah, well I've got to go but it's nice to meet you finally" Sian started to turn back around.
"Wait! I just wanted to know how she's doing. I heard about what happened" he stopped her. He seemed genuine enough. Sian could see why Sophie liked him.
"She's fine. The car didn't make it though; she's actually lucky to be alive really. But Soph's always been lucky that way" Sian explained. It was what she told everyone who had asked her all week from Norris to Chesney.
"Car? She was in an accident?! I didn't know that" Alex shook his head confused.
"Really? Well then what were you on about then?" Sian asked equally confused.
"Well, I just couldn't believe that they turned her down for SCITT training. She seemed really down about it. I told her to just apply again, that they were always tough on transfer students, but she didn't really buy it I think" Alex finished looking down toward the pavement. It was as if Sophie's disappointment was his own.
Sian took a moment to process what she had just heard. It made her want to either cry or scream, but she knew that she could do neither out here on the street. So she bottled it.
"Well that on top of this car accident…boy…talk about a rough week eh?" he said nervously.
She barely heard him say his goodbyes. It took all her effort to push a smile to the front of her face. As he walked off she wondered how many other secrets her girlfriend had been keeping from her. And more importantly why.
Sophie Webster had some explaining to do.
She heard the key in the lock an hour after she had arrived at the flat.
When Sian had arrived Sophie was nowhere to be found so Sian sat and waited. She could have texted her but thought against it. Sophie could also be an expert at avoidance if she had the chance and Sian didn't want to give her time to prepare a story. Surprise attack was the best tactic, even if it meant that Sian had to sit and stew.
She turned over everything that she had learned over the course of the afternoon. One part of her heart was breaking as she thought about what Sophie had been going thru. Her girlfriend didn't take rejection very well. She had always suffered from low self-esteem-long before Sian had even met her. Sophie Webster reveled in her victories and was laid low by her defeats. Sometimes her faith was able to restore her confidence, but in the absence of that she had hoped that Sophie would turn to her.
But instead it seemed like it was getting on top of her.
And Sian didn't like not being aware of it. All the lies were all too reminiscent of their past problems, but Sian thought that they were over that. Apparently not. She fumed as she flipped on some nonsense talent show on telly and waited. How dare she keep all this from her? Couldn't she trust her? And more importantly what else was she hiding? It was all too familiar to Sian and she shuddered with the million possibilities. By the time Sophie came thru the door Sian had worked herself into quite a strop.
"Where you been?" Sian said coolly.
"Well you'll be happy, I was talking to the coppers and then the insurance company" Sophie said just as sullenly. "And you know how they are. A million questions and only a few of them summat relevant" she said as she stretched and yawned. Sian could hear her go into the kitchen area and quickly followed as she heard the clink of glasses. As she entered the small room she saw Sophie had pulled out the whiskey bottle and was pouring herself a glass.
"A little early don't you think?" Sian said.
Sophie looked her way defiantly. "Oh give me a break," she said rolling her eyes. "Hey I'll get you a glass too. You look like you need to loosen up," she said as she reached up for another glass. At that moment Sian grabbed the already full glass and chucked it down the sink.
"Whut are you doin?" Sophie shouted angrily.
"Sophie Webster, I've known you since we were 15 yeah. I know when you're hiding somethin'" Sian squared up in front of her. Sophie looked at the floor.
"I don't know what you're on about" Sophie said quietly.
"Did you tell the cops the truth about the accident? I talked to your sister today, Sophie" Sian asked straight on.
"Oi! Did she grass me up? I bet it wasn't hard to lawyer-trick it out of her" Sophie said stepping back angrily. Her retreat was stopped by an opposite counter top which she banged into with a jolt.
"It didn't take much Soph. She's feeling guilty as hell, thinks it's all her fault. But it's not is it?" Sian counter-argued.
"Okay so I could have been paying better attention but she was the one who couldn't pick up a simple set of rings! It was all I asked her to do and the daft cow, she couldn't be bothered," Sophie argued near shouting.
"Rings? For what?" Sian asked perplexed.
"Well it's ruined now. Like everything! I had this whole plan y'see for Valentine's Day since we never get to spend it together but of course everything got screwed up. Such a failure again" she crossed her arms and walked back over to look out a small window on the other side of their flat.
Sian felt her heart soften a bit. It was hard to deal with Sophie when she was in an unstable state. She calmed herself down and slowly approached where Sophie stood. There was only one way that Sian had learnt to deal with her. She placed her arms around the girl's waist. At first touch Sophie stiffened up, but then she relaxed into her. Sian lowered her mouth to Sophie's ear.
"I know about your SCITT application being denied," she said softly. She felt Sophie's breath hitch.
"Who told you?" Sophie said so low it was barely above a whisper.
"Alex ran me down in the street. He thought I already knew. Of course I didn't have a clue," Sian said softly as she turned Sophie around. She placed her arms around her and let her rest her head on her shoulder. For a moment they stood there silently, each lost in providing comfort and being comforted. Sian finally let go of her and took a step back putting some air between them. She placed both hands on Sophie's cheeks bringing them up so that their eyes could meet.
"When are you gonna learn? I don't want you perfect all the time. I want you. Messy, kind-hearted, stroppy, shouty, you. We can't keep things from each other. I can't be a part of that again. But what I can do is be there for you. Who held your towel at the side of the pool when Ben Richardson let you down? I'll always be there for you Soph. That's a promise that I won't be breaking. But you have to let me" she finished.
"But…" Sophie tried to argue.
"No buts Sophie Webster. I get all of you, or none of it. That's my last offer" Sian finished grinning.
"I just want to be perfect for you" Sophie said insistently.
"But you can't be, silly mare. No one is. I'll settle for the mess I see before me" yawning Sian headed toward the bedroom. She stopped before getting there and looked Sophie up and down. "What I see is already perfect for me" she said with a cheeky grin as she headed into the bedroom.
"Are you coming?" Sian tossed over her shoulder.
"Sian? Are you asleep?" Sophie asked as she turned over in bed. She knew that she had really blown it over the last few weeks. It would be impossible for her to sleep unless she came completely clean.
"Well I was" Sian said sleepily, her eyes still closed.
"I just…I'm sorry about everything" Sophie said earnestly. She really was too. As well intentioned as she had been the last few days, it always felt better to come clean. Sophie didn't need to be carrying the weight of everything all the time. She needed to remember that.
"I know. Now get some sleep babes" Sian said turning towards her still with her eyes closed. "Although if I find out your secretly visiting ex-girlfriends again, I'll throw your clothes out into the street," she said teasingly.
"Oi! Well then, nothing to worry about there" she chuckled back. She leaned over and opened a drawer from the bedside table on her side. Pulling out a small box she placed it in front of where her head lied.
"Open your eyes" she said softly into the girl's ear. She watched her struggle to comprehend the small box that was placed in front of her. Slowly she picked it up, her eyes growing increasingly wider.
"What is this?" Sian said in a voice that was a bit higher than it should be.
"Don't panic. It's not what you think. Just open it" Sophie laughed.
Inside the box were two simple rings, not unlike the one's they already had, but these were real silver. And there was an engraving on the inside in a language that Sian couldn't read.
"Babe, what is this?" Sian asked softly as she turned the rings over in her hands.
"I was going to give'em to you on Valentine's Day. Had a whole speech prepared about how I know that we don't want to get married now, but that doesn't mean we can't start to get proper serious about our future. It was dead soppy I tell you" Sophie explained.
"Oh Soph" Sian said as she looked at the engraving. "What does it say?" Sian asked.
"It's Trust and Faith in Hebrew. I just figured it could be our own vow to each other. It's like our own type of marriage vows, unlike anyone else, because we're unlike anyone else. As you said we don't have to be like our parents or society. It only matters what we expect of each other" she finished up.
"It's beautiful Soph" Sian said in awe.
"Yeah but I've let you down already haven't I? How should I expect you to have trust and faith in me after today? I haven't earned it" Sophie said lowly.
"Enough of that. I won't have you feeling sorry for yourself" Sian took her hands that sat in Sophie's lap and intertwined them. "Look mistakes are how we learn. So when you're unsure, just look at your hand and remember: As long as we have trust and faith in each other then we'll be all right" Sian finished up giving her a kiss on the cheek and sliding one of the rings onto her girlfriend's fingers. She looked at it and then slipped it off to put it on the nightstand.
"I love you" Sophie said softly.
"Of course you do. Now if we're gonna start planning this future of ours than I'm gonna need some beauty sleep" Sian said falling back onto her pillow and closing her eyes.
Sophie looked down at her and smiled. She counted herself to be lucky indeed.
A/N: Thank you everyone for your reviews and reading of this story. It's always a joy to hear from new readers, along with readers who have been here from the beginning. You're all pretty great really.