Finding Solace In Love - A Sophie and Gideon AU Story

Chapter 1

A/N: Okay so here is the beginning of an AU story that's been forming in my mind. After reading Clockwork Princess I have decided that Sophie and Gideon are a perfect couple and there are hardly any fanfictions about them. This story takes place in modern times and no one is shadowhunters, downworlders, demons, etc. This chapter is quite graphic but the violence is there simply to show the background stories of the characters. This will be the most graphic chapter. Also, Gideon isn't in this chapter much because I needed to get the story rolling.   

    Sophie stood casually, in front of her closet, considering her clothing options. Already she wore light blue jeans but couldn't decide on which top to wear. Finally she chose a emerald green sweater and added a pair of grey ballet flats. It was nothing special, after all she preferred to blend into the crowd, but it would suffice for the first day of the second semester. Looking in the mirror she sighed at the angry red line etched across her face. She grabbed her bag as she heard a a car honk from outside her house. Her chocolate brown curls flew behind her in the wind as she raced to the car. Sophie settled down on the only available seat in the crowded vehicle.

"Hey there Sophie," drawled Will who sat beside her.

"Hi." She said flatly, not wanting to spark a conversation with him. He had been nicer lately but she wasn't in the mood to start her day with a conversation gone sour. It wasn't that she disliked Will, she actually liked him, but sometimes old habits die hard. She used to despise him not too long ago. His unneccessarily cruel remarks about her scar were what caused her initial dislike but recently she had found out the reason behind his snide remarks. Tessa had told her only about a month ago that he had been abused by his parents as a child. He had run away from home but never forgave himself for leaving behind his little sister, Cecily, at the mercy of his parents. Cecily had returned less than a year ago. Will had only recently begun to bring down his walls and let people in. Cecily had forgiven him, wanting to be with the only true family she had left, but it was taking longer for Will to heal.

Cecily lived with Will and his foster parents. They all had foster parents who weren't really parents but only acted as parents around officials and other adults. Their foster parents cared for them in a way; they cared enough to keep them off the streets and out of orphanages. Sophie's own foster parents weren't particularily kind but they weren't mean and they housed and fed her so they weren't all that bad. The only true mother figure she had in her life was Charlotte.

Charlotte was a mother to them all. Sophie first met her when Charlotte was working a social worker but now she was a guidance counselor at their school. Each of them were required to meet with Charlotte once a month but it never felt obligatory. Charlotte was a kind soul and cared for them all very much, putting aside their pasts.

 They were a band of misfits. All their parents were dead or gone. Jem's parents had died of cancer when he was only a toddler, Will and Cecily's parents were abusive. Tessa's parents were dead as well as her aunt. Her brother, Nate, could care less about Tessa. Cyril had come to town to train with the local cadets in order to become a solider like his brother, Thomas, who had left to Iraq a few months ago. Jessamine's parents had been hit by a drunk driver a couple of years ago and Jessamine had been in the back seat. Sophie had mixed feelings about Jessamine. She sympathized with Jessamine because she had watched her parents die but Jessamine's facade of girliness and drama annoyed Sophie. No one quite knew what had happened to Bridget but her depressing ballads painted a bad enough picture.

Back to the point, Sophie liked Will now because she understood the reason behind his unkindness and he could be quite funny at times. She not only understood but had first hand experience with abuse herself.

She never knew her mother; it had been her father who raised her. He had been an alcoholic but his drinking got in the way when Sophie was nine years old. He came home one day, swearing like no tomorrow, and had downed a bottle of wine in a minute. After a couple of hours Sophie had crept downstairs to grab some dinner, maybe cheese and crackers, for herself. She assumed her father would be passed out on the couch by now. To her surprise he was still awake surrounded by wine bottles and beer cans. When he caught sight of Sophie peering around the corner he leaped up with his white fists clenched at his sides.