Feelings

A New Beginning

Weeks turned into months following the assault.  Nothing happened, no trial, no conviction.  Sophie, Tom and Luke decided to move on.  Not to forget, that would never happen but to move on.  To spite the evil little monster that had tried to destroy them.

Tom kept feelers out for any sign Art wasn't playing the game - or indeed was playing his own game again.  None were ever forthcoming and slowly, he relaxed.  Slowly he forgave himself for not being there.  Quickly he realised he was deeply, deeply committed to Sophie.  Like lifelong committed. 

Sophie recovered and went back to work. She worked with Luke. The two of them - him as the PR man and her as his PA woman, managed a plethora of clients including Tom.  Luke wondered how he'd ever managed without her.  She was a natural, took no prisoners, or crap.  She was able to schmooze with the best of them, even getting the better of some of their more "challenging" clients.  Her desk regularly sported flowers and chocolates sent as a grateful thank you.

Luke on the other hand suffered in silence.  Throughout all of this, he had crucified himself - needlessly - because he had been there that night and hadn't known a thing.  He'd taken her home and said goodnight, not realising anything was amiss.  He could have done something he thought.  He could have saved her.  He was wrong, but he needed Sophie to tell him, to forgive him. Out loud. 

One day about 2 months later, as the they sat in his office discussing a forthcoming appearance he randomly, he stood up and walked to the other side of the office, leaning against the window ledge and looked at her.

"What's wrong?  Are you ok Luke?  Do you want me to go over the itinerary for Tom again?  I don't think I missed anything?" she scanned her tablet again.

"No.  It's not you, it's me." he said with an ironic little laugh.  She looked up, frowning.  "I - I need you to..." he swallowed, and looked at his feet. "I need you to forgive me Sophie." He looked up and she could see the weeks of sleepless nights, the torment and the guilt.

"What?" She turned to him astonished.  "What on EARTH makes you think you need my forgiveness Luke?" she was heartbroken to think he'd been harbouring this for all that time.

"Because I let you be harmed...." he said simply, sounding entirely broken.  

Without missing a beat, she stood up and walked over to him grasping him by the shoulders.

"You listen to me Luke Windsor." she looked him dead in the eye.  "You have been the most amazing friend in all of this.  You have been the glue that kept Tom and me together and sane.  Don't let ANYONE tell you otherwise. " She removed her hands and took his in hers, they were small and soft compared to Tom's.  Tom always said he had his Dad's hands.  She looked at him. "Now, I know you.  Unless I say it in words of one syllable you won't believe it, so I forgive you Luke." she smiled at him and he returned it weakly.  

Kissing him on the cheek, she parted from him and went and sat down.  "Now, I don't know about you, but I could murder a pizza tonight and Tom is coming to pick me up so why don't the three of us get a Domino's and take it back to mine for a change?"  She winked "I might even stretch to fudge cake for afters!"  He laughed and nodded.  If there was one thing that could be relied on, it was Sophie's knack for turning almost every conversation towards food.

About a week after their little "counselling" session, Sophie was working away at her desk when she heard Luke's voice,

"Sophie?  Have you got a minute? "He'd  popped his head around his office door to where she sat.  She looked up from an email she was reading and nodded. 

"Coffee Boss?" she winked, although technically Luke WAS her Boss, they both saw it as less defined than that.  Luke smiled,

"And THAT'S why I can't survive without you!" he disappeared back into his office and closed the door.  Walking over to his desk, he sat on the front edge of it.  This was going to be the best  - and the most difficult - conversation of his career.   He was going to miss this office.  It had been his professional home for years - since he'd started with the company in fact.  He looked around, taking in the view out over London. That would be changing soon.  He sighed, he hoped she would understand, would agree to the change.

The door opened as Sophie elbowed the handle, bringing in the coffees and a pack of biscuits dangled between her teeth from the half empty wrapper.

"Take deese ood you?" she mumbled and motioned with a cheesy grin.  Luke stood to catch the packet before it fell and they had nothing but crumbs left of the gingernuts.  Sophie put the mugs on the desk and flopped into one of the chairs in front, grabbing the biscuits and dunking one.  Not too long or it would be swimming in the bottom of the mug, not too short or it would still be like iron.  She counted out loud "one mississippi; two mississippi; and out!" stuffing the entire thing in her mouth.  She grinned lopsidedly and Luke snorted.

"SUCH a lady, if only Tom could see you now!" he laughed out loud and she shrugged.

"Don't know WHAT you mean?  HE can do it with a whole chocolate Hobnob!"  

Luke covered his eyes and shook his head. "Dear God, I'm surrounded by six year olds, completely surrounded, by six year olds!" he sipped his coffee and sat on the desk edge again, facing her.  "So, how's things?  Anything I should know about for this week?" he grabbed the packet before she snaffled the last couple.  As he manfully broke his teeth on a resolutely un-dunked biscuit she thought for a moment.

"Nope. Don't think so.  Ewan isn't coming over this week, he's staying in New York for the Comicon and Sam Jackson called - he wants to have dinner with Tom and Kevin before the series kicks in.  Nothing else I don't think.  Why?  We had our usual catch up yesterday?  What's up?" she sat back, not so much concerned as curious.

"Well." he put his mug down and sighed. "The thing is, I'm not going to be around the office much.  This week, next week..." he paused and looked at her steadily, "Not ever...." He waited for a reaction, he didn't have to wait long.

"What the FUCK?"  her manners, mind and vocabulary careered headlong out the window.  "Where the sodding HELL are you going.... Luke!" she stopped, clapping a hand to her mouth, "You - you're not... sick are you?"  her eyes were painted with fear and suddenly he felt this was on the edge of backfiring.

"No no no!  Nothing like that.  It's just.. well... I'm leaving here.  To start up my own business." he smiled and she sat open mouthed, how would they survive without him?  

"But Luke... does Tom know?" she whispered, almost as if talking to herself. He nodded.

"Yes, yes he does.  He wanted me to tell you because it affects you too?" he came and sat in the chair next to her.  He grinned and took her hand.

"I have a proposal for you... no, not marriage, calm down woman!" he saw the look that shot across her face.  "Something - for me - that I think would be even better." he turned and looked at her gravely, suppressing a smile.

"Sophie Goodman, would you do me the honour of coming to the new PR company with me as my business partner?"