Dry My Tears, ;; Sofia

[Olivia White]

Olivia's life was in pieces. She had spent the past 2 and a half years with Cain, and now that she had left him, she felt so empty. It had been less than 24 hours since she walked away from the love of her life, but she just couldn't be with him anymore. Not after she had practically seen him kill someone. How was she supposed to be comfortable getting close to him and kissing him and letting the hands that snapped that man's neck touch her? The thought of how often that probably happened in the past made her want to scrub herself until she bled, and even then she felt like she'd never be rid of him.

After she left Styx last night, she went to Cain's penthouse where she packed a bag of clothes and took some of her more treasured belongings,leaving a good portion of her stuff behind, including the necklace and earrings that Cain bought her. It was over. She wanted to forget everything about Cain, but she knew it would never be that easy. Having no place to go, she checked into a hotel, almost glad that she had been saving all the money she made working for Styx over the past few years. Cain had always supported her, but insisted he pay her for her work, so she had a good bit of money in her savings account. Enough that she could start looking for apartments tomorrow if she wanted to. But before she did any of that, she needed to get herself emotionally stable.

She had spent the whole of the night crying, falling asleep in the early morning when exhaustion set in, only to wake up a few hours before sundown. It might sound a bit pathetic, but she honestly didn't know how to function without Cain in her life. Things had become so routine for her that she didn't quite know how to break it. And that was her mission tonight when she mustered up the energy to get out of bed. She needed to move on. Life was about growing and changing, right? Once she dressed in jeans and a hoodie, she ventured out to start the healing process, the sadness all over her face despite her best efforts to put a front up.

She knew exactly what she was going to do once the sun went down. She needed her big sister. She didn't even know if Sofia would want to see her, but she didn't have anyone else to go to. She wasn't sure what happened between them. After Sofia's wedding , she and Cain started dating, they just drifted apart. She thought about Sofia a lot, but she never got the chance to call her or see her. She was a terrible friend...but at the same time, perhaps they both were at fault? She hoped Sofia would forgive her...she needed to someone to be there for her right now.

The sun was still up when she ventured out, so to kill time she did something impulsive. She found herself standing in a hair salon. It was rare she was impulsive, so she took it as a sign. Maybe it was time for a new her? She had been blond her entire life, it was her natural color, but now that she herself had hit a darker place in life, it seemed fitting to go brunette. It was a huge change, but if she was going to move past this Cain situation, she needed to start fresh.

It had taken a while for them to do her hair, but once they finished, she couldn't say she hated it. It would take some getting used to, but in some way, it made her feel bolder, more ready to take on the world. By the time she got out of there the sun had set, which meant that Sofia would be awake by now. Oh, she hoped she wouldn't mind if she stopped by. She should call her ahead of time, but it wasn't like she actually planned on breaking up with her boyfriend. She hailed a cab and gave the driver the address, trying to stay calm during the drive.

Why was she so nervous? Sofia was her closest friend...the woman knew more about her than anyone else in London. She had been there for her through her hardest times. Surely, she'd be there for her now. Pulling up to Sofia and Gideon's house, she paid the driver and stepped out of the cab, making her way to the door, while trying to keep it together. She could already feel the tears coming at the thought of having to tell Sofia about Cain. but if she didn't talk to someone, she'd explode. Ringing the doorbell, she crossed her arms over her chest, hoping that the woman would be home, or that she'd recognize her with her new hair.

[Sofia Knight]

When the nights got longer most everyone Sofia knew complained. All her life it had been a sad event when the moon came out earlier and the sun faded away and that made an awful lot of sense for most people. But for the Knight household the early emergency of the moon was always a joyful event.

The summer was wonderful and all... But the children were out of school without any parents to watch over them in the daytime. Sofia and Gideon had to sleep all day while they played in the sun until the moon finally rose and their aunt and uncle could come out to see them. Honestly, it broke Sofia's heart to get up in the evening during the summer and smell the sun still warm in her little girl's hair and hear stories of the day they had outside in the trees and the fields surrounding their home. Thanfully, Sofia had Halla to keep the children company and they would collect butterflies and insects to show her when she rose, but it was just terribly heart wrenching... Winter was better. In the winter Sofia could get up in time to help the children with their homework and fix dinner for them too. Oddly, Sofia liked it, and fixing dinner was just what she was doing when the doorbell rang.

"AUNTYYYYYY GET THE DOOR!"

Ruth's piercing girlish voice came out of the living room at a thousand decibels it would seem. Sofia winced where she stood in front of the stove minding a large pot of potatoes. Such a high little cry that girl had on her... Turning the flames down, Sofia stepped back and pushed the sleeves of her printed sweater up to her elbows, going to hang out the door of the kitchen and look at the children in the living room where they were all sat down around the coffee table with their homework out and a cartoon on the TV. Jacob, the eldest, naturally had an iPod plugged into his ears and was ignoring them all.

"Who is it?" Sofia wondered naturally. She hadn't heard wheels come up the drive and wandered out with a curiously tilted mouth. Of course, it was very noisy in here right now between the television and Ruth's shriek.

"I dunno, Soffy..." Ruth told her, scribbling on her "homework," really just a stack of papers Sofia had given her with crayons and stencils. Feeling suspicious, Sofia approached the front door and listened. It worried her to open it to a stranger... But then again, they couldn't come in without permission of the children living inside. And Sofia had told them never to grant that permission... Putting her hand on the knob, Sofia opened the door cautiously and peeked out to... well, just about the last person she'd ever expected to see.

If it wasn't for the eyes, those beautiful blue gems, Sofia wouldn't have recognized her. Not between the hair and the aging she'd done. Really, Olivia was quite beautiful, but as soon as Sofia began to smile she remembered the one Olivia was with and why they stopped speaking. Sofia opened the door wide enough to stand framed within it with the children in the background but did not invite Olivia in yet. For a second she just stared.

"Can I help you?"

[Olivia White]

Olivia needed Sofia. She was her big sister, even if they had drifted apart over the past two years. What they had didn't just disappear like that. Their relationship was special. This was the reason she had gotten so close with Sofia in the first place. She was so caring and strong, there for her when times got tough. She was everything that Olivia would have wanted a big sister to be. And then something happened between them. Even she wasn't quite sure what it was. She had been the maid of honor for Sofia and Gideon's wedding, and really that was the last time they spoke. Things had changed after that. She and Cain had become more than just friends, and in a way, he became her life. And before she knew it, 2 years had gone by without a word to Sofia. It wasn't supposed to happen that way, she didn't even know about Cain and Sofia's meeting or that her big sister hated her boyfriend. If she had known, maybe she would have tried to fix it before it got to be too late.

Unfortunately, now might be too late. Still, any apprehensions towards seeing Sofia again hadn't kept her from coming over. Isn't this what sisters were for? To help each other through the tough times? She had helped Sofia before. And now Olivia needed her. She had never been in love before. Cain was her first. And now he was also the first one to break her heart. It hurt so much. She was trying to be strong. To get over it, but she needed help. She needed Sofia.

Once she got the guts to knock on the door, she took a few deep breaths, though she could have sworn she heard kids inside. Sofia and Gideon? Kids? Well...that wasn't possible. Perhaps it was someone playing near Sofia's house. Staring at the door handle, her heart started to beat faster as she watched it turn, her gaze meeting Sofia's the moment it opened wide enough to look out.

She looked even more beautiful than she remembered. Her beautiful bright hair and green eyes, the way her skin seemed to glow. She just wanted to throw her arms around Sofia and let her hold her while she cried. And she nearly did that, until she realized that Sofia wasn't as happy to see her as she was to see Sofia. "Can I help you?" Her words only would have hurt more had they been a stab to the chest. They were sharp, unwelcoming. She was half tempted to just say forget it and walk away, but there was something inside of her that hurt more than Sofia's words. Heartbreak.

Her gaze met Sofia's for a moment before looking past her to the children inside. She had kids? Had she adopted? And suddenly that thought took her immediately to Cain. Hadn't that been the start of their problems? Her wanting kids while he was a vampire? Her eyes started to water as she once again met Sofia's eyes, letting out a soft sob when she opened her mouth to speak. "I...broke up with Cain. I'm sorry for bothering you. I just...didn't know where else to go."

[Sofia Knight]

Sofia watched Olivia's eyes slide away from her and onto the children in the background. Sofia hoped and prayed that they didn't notice the girl at the door, wished that Ruth would keep her eyes on her coloring instead of looking out to see what Sofia was up to. But Sofia was experienced enough in these children to know that was entirely too much to ask...

Olivia looked at her again and Sofia saw her eyes glisten. She felt bad at once - wanted to wrap Olivia up into a hug and keep her close. But instead Sofia's fingers gripped the doorframe, resisting physical contact. Olivia was with Cain... Cain was a monster. Sofia didn't want anything to do with either of them until Olivia sobbed and spoke;

"I... broke up with Cain."

...Olivia left the bastard? Instantly, Sofia's cold, hostile stare softened a little... And then became slightly suspicious. Why was Olivia here of all places? She didn't know where else to go... right, because she'd moved in with that bastard! That had been part of it. Sofia thought she was throwing her life away with that asshole... and she was. But they'd broken up now? Olivia was sad but Sofia was positively elated. She didn't show that though, of course. Sofia bent her eyes downward while she heard Ruth start stabbing her paper with a crayon. Ruth was wont to do that sort of thing... and soon she'd be bored and start yelling for her aunty, as she did... now.

"SOFFFYYY! I FINISHED!"

Sofia pulled her eyes upward again and looked at Olivia while Ruth tormented her brothers with her work, not bothering to look at Sofia in the doorway with Olivia.

"You can come in then." Sofia informed Olivia with a little more gentility to her tone than before but still... it wasn't much. Stepping back, Sofia gave Olivia room to come inside though she didn't know what she would do with her next. "Mind the children... They're everywhere."

[Olivia White]

Olivia wasn't dumb. She knew when she wasn't wanted and right now was one of those times. The way Sofia had spoken to her, it was so cold, like it was a problem that she had come by. And maybe it was. She didn't know. She never knew that Sofia didn't like Cain. She just assumed that they drifted apart like people tended to do when their lives got busy. Not because Sofia didn't agree with who she was seeing. Besides, why would she ever expect that? Olivia didn't like Gideon...the man nearly killed her! But she'd never let her dislike for the man to get between her and her friend. At least not now. Friendships were supposed to be stronger than that. She and Sofia had already proved that once.

She was half tempted to just leave when Sofia spoke to her, but instead she found herself starting to cry. She didn't want to think about Cain. She didn't want to have to relive it all. It hurt so bad to think about him, but she should have known she was going to have to tell Sofia about it. She just hoped that she'd be able to tell her about it while Sofia was holding her and consoling her. Right now, that wasn't seeming too likely. She saw how the woman's gaze softened, but it was still different. Still, the woman invited her in, so that was certainly a step.

When she stepped inside the door, but no further, her gaze immediately landing on the 3 children inside the living area. Sofia told her not to mind them as they where everywhere, but she still wasn't understanding it all. Who were they? "I...uh...didn't know you had kids," she said through the tears, trying to distract herself for the time being. This just had to work out for her. Sofia always promised her that she'd be there for her. She couldn't go back on a promise. "They're beautiful," she forced a smile, "Who are they?" Her voice cracked again as she spoke, "How's Gideon?"

[Sofia Knight]

Sofia let Olivia in and shut the door behind her, immediately turning in hopes that she might be able to make it into the kitchen with Olivia before any notice could be drawn, but she should have known better. Her American ex-friend looked at the kids and mentioned that she hadn't known Sofia had them... Well, obviously.

Turning back to Olivia, Sofia took her warm human wrist and glanced cautiously at the children, thinking that if they could just go now they might have some luck... But even through her tears Olivia had to keep yammering and asked who the children were. Even more outrageously, how Gideon was doing.

Well, so much talking... Jacob, the eldest, glanced up and raised his eyebrows and of course the other two noticed and followed his example. Suddenly, three children were staring at them in different stages of confusion until finally the smallest and the one with the ginger hair thrust a crayon in Olivia's direction and announced, "Hiya!"

Sofia gave her niece a smile and a wave, "Hiya, Ruthy... This is my friend, Olivia. She's gonna help me cook dinner, 'kay?"

Tightening her grip on Olivia's wrist, Sofia turned and began dragging her away despite Ruth's excited chattering around having a dinner guest and a discussion with her brothers about getting into her tea party attire. They loved having new people over... Sofia just loved having privacy. But that was never possible, was it? Olivia, having been with Cain, should have definitely known that...

Hauling the American through the kitchen doorway and inside where Sofia's potatoes were nearly boiling over, she immediately dropped Olivia's hand and hurried to them, turning the flames down and making a grumpy sound. Sofia found her spoon, stirred the pot, and for a second didn't say a word. There was a table in the kitchen, some counters, a refrigerator... Olivia could have taken a seat anywhere but Sofia, still feeling bitter, didn't deign to offer.

"They're my niece and nephews..." Sofia finally explained after she'd gotten a minor grip on things and her pot settled down. Looking up from the stove, Sofia looked to see if Olivia was still crying... She didn't like crying. Sofia hoped she could get it under control on her own because Sofia just wasn't sure what to do about her yet... There was a certain measure of distrust in her gaze.

"You know... the vampire that bit you? After we first met?" Sofia didn't want to say the name but raised her eyebrows, hoping Olivia would know she meant Ginny. "Killed their mom... My sister. You never met her. She wasn't in London long... and now I have children. And Gideon is alright. And I can't believe you ever lived with Cain for so long... He is the scum of the earth. I can't believe you would betray me like that. And that, I guess... is all I have to say."

Turning back to her pot, Sofia turned the flames down and prepared to drain it.

[Olivia White]

Olivia had come here for comfort. She wanted Sofia to hold her and let her cry like any big sister would do when their little sister broke up with their boyfriend. She wanted things to be like they used to be between them and Olivia had hoped that despite the time that had passed, they'd be able to pick up where they left off. Unfortunately, things had changed between the two young women and Olivia found herself feeling a lot more out of place with Sofia than she ever imagined. First off...the woman had kids. Yes, kids. She knew they couldn't have been her kids, but it was very clear that she had been raising them for some time.

She smiled at the three children when they looked up at her, a slight chuckle escaping from her lips when the girl, Ruthy, as Sofia had called her, stuck out a crayon towards her. She would have loved to take it and join Ruthy in coloring, but Sofia was much to quick to pull her into the kitchen.

When Sofia let go of her arm, she moved to lean against the counter, her arms crossed over her chest to try to keep herself together. She felt so uncomfortable right now, she just wanted to leave. Maybe she shouldn't have came. Would it be weird if she left now? She watched Sofia stir the potatoes, finding the silence between them in that moment suffocating. The woman explained who the children are and how their mother was killed by Ginny, the first vampire she had ever met. She felt a pang of sadness for the kids, but that was gone within a moment as Sofia began to go off on her for being with Cain.

She didn't even know what to say back to Sofia right now. She was completely shocked by the woman's words, a bit of anger flaring up despite her tears. She really had some nerve saying that about Cain. And betray her? What was she even talking about? Scoffing, she shook her head, more tears falling as she pushed off the counter and began back towards where they entered from. She didn't need to stand here and take this. She wasn't here to be scolded by someone she thought cared about her. If she wanted to be upset, she'd watch some old love story and eat straight out of the tub of ice cream.

"Seriously? You think I betrayed you? As far as I'm concerned, friendships go both ways. I know I didn't make the best effort to stay friends, but neither did you. And I love Cain. Just like you love Gideon. Do I need to remind you that your husband almost killed me? But despite everything that happened, in the end, I didn't let what you have with him get in the way of our relationship. And I'm just throwing it out there, that I didn't even know you didn't like Cain. So don't you dare try to throw my relationship in my face and make me look like the bad guy."

[Sofia Knight]

Sofia wasn't dim - she figured her words would piss Olivia off to a certain extent but she also figured that she had it coming to her. Olivia scoffed behind her and Sofia removed the pot from the stove, pouring the potatoes, steamy water, and all into the colander waiting for her in the sink. Steam rose and felt delightful on Sofia's chilly face while Oliiva started behind her about betrayal and friendships going "both ways." Sofia sighed and shook the water out of her potatoes, dumping them back into the pot and returning to the stove where milk and margarine waited beside the pot. She loved Cain... or still loved? What the hell!... And yes, Sofia loved Gideon... Though the girl had a point. Gideon had tried to kill her. Wincing, Sofia scraped the margarine from the measuring cup into her pot and tried not to look while Olivia cut her down little by little. Actually... It sort of hurt. Yeah, it really did... And was she moving to the door?

Looking quickly over her shoulder to stop Olivia with a glance - or hope to, anyway! - Sofia gave her a pleading look not to go. Okay, she was upset... Really upset with her!... But she still hadn't seen her in a while. Years, actually. And she had grown...

"You didn't know that I hated him? That sounds wrong... I hate that pale ancient motherfucker with every cold little bone in my body."

Direct the hatred onto someone else. Usually a good idea... right? Sofia didn't actually know. Pouring milk into her potatoes, Sofia went at them with a wide, slotted mashing tool and not a little bit of aggression. Sighing while she got her frustration out pulverizing potatoes instead of Olivia, Sofia thought about all of this. The girl didn't know Sofia hated her undead beau and damn... Gideon had nearly killed her once and ever since then Sofia had been trying to forget about it... She looked up again to see that Olivia was still there and looked away again with a scoff of her own.

"Well... whatever... So what did the bastard do to you?"

Sofia would have liked it if they could just forget the fighting and, for a minute, bitch about something else.

[Olivia White]

Sofia was right. Olivia had grown up. And apparently she wasn't going to take crap from anyone. Sofia included. If Sofia had invited her inside to just to yell at her and make her feel like shit, then she'd gladly let herself out. What she needed from Sofia was love and support right now, but perhaps that was too much to ask after two years. She had begun towards the door, but before she actually left, she got a few things off her chest. This wasn't all about her doing wrong, and Sofia needed to know where she stood. After all, she didn't let Sofia's husband nearly killing her get in between their friendship (at least in the long run), so Sofia shouldn't let her relationship with Cain get in the way of things.

Oh...and had she said that she loved Cain? Wait...no...no...really...she didn't love him anymore. It wasn't 'I love Cain.' It was 'I LOVED Cain.' There was no way that she could still love him like she had. Right? Right. He killed someone and thought nothing of it. And he could never give her what she wanted in life...aka children, nor was he even willing to try the alternatives. They were so different, though they had never realized how incompatible they were until things started to get rough. And by then it was too late.

But if she didn't love him anymore, then why was it that when Sofia stressed again how much she disliked Cain and called him a bastard that she found herself wanting to get defensive?

Having stopped near the door frame, Olivia once again crossed her arms over her chest, shifting her weight to one side as she watched Sofia work. What had Cain done to her? Well...nothing. He was so sweet and perfect and he loved her just like she loved him. The only thing they had ever fought about over a 2 and a half year span was their inability to have kids, and really that was something well beyond Cain's control. Feeling her eyes starting to water again as she thought about Cain, she sniffed a bit, shaking her head to herself. "Nothing...he didn't do anything to me. It was someone else. He killed someone. Right in the office while I was there." She briefly thought about the time she'd stumbled upon Sofia feeding on a girl in the streets and how Sofia seemed to be so upset by what she was doing. Maybe if Cain had shown some sort of sympathy or emotion, but he was blank. The man he killed had meant nothing to him and he had made that very clear. "And it didn't even phase him. How am I supposed to be with someone with absolutely no regard to human life?"