Friendship

Back in Chicago

No One's P.O.V

Arrive back in Chicago was such a stressful situation for both girls involved. Not only did it mean that Sophia was away from her family, but it meant that JJ would have to face Coach Rory, after going over his head to get him to give them the time they needed off. Sophia was still very unaware of what her partner had to do to get the time off, but when they turned up to the first training session of the season Sophia knew that something was wrong.

"How many times do I have to tell you Julie, you aren't as good as you think" Rory yelled, after Julie had tried to take on one of the girls, in a scrummage. Sophia was extremely shocked at the harshness off Rory's words, but when she saw Julie nod and bow her head, walking back to her position Sophia new something had happened.  Vowing to ask Julie later, Sophia got her head back in the game.

Sophia had forgotten that night to ask JJ what had happened between her and Rory, but after two weeks of Rory constantly degrading Julie and her abilities as a soccer player, Sophia finally snapped, her protective side taking over. She yelled and screamed at Rory, telling him to back off her girlfriend or she would walk away from the team. Much to her surprise Rory didn't seem remotely phased by Sophia threat. He kept his face stern as he stood straighter and shrugged his shoulders.

"Go then" He said calmly before turning his attention back to the group of girls, all of which were now staring wide-eyed at the explosion that had just happened between a fellow team mate and there Coach. "Back to work ladies" Rory said firmly, clapping his hands together loudly. Making all the girls snap out of there shock and continue on with there drills.

"Leave it baby, I can take it" JJ says with a smile as she grabbed her girlfriends wrist and pulled her back to the field. Sophia allowed herself to be pulled away, deciding that this was something that she need to have all the information on before trying to tackle the problem again. Since coming back to Chicago Sophia has spent her time focusing on Soccer and her training, it was the only thing that kept her mind from wondering to her sister and the pain that comes with the thought of her sibling.

Walking into there apartment, JJ and Sophia threw themselves on to the couch completely exhausted after another grueling training session. After Sophia's outburst, Rory had added her to his hit list. Degrading comment after degrading comment, he wanted to break down both the girls. He needed to show them who was boss as he felt that they thought they were now better then him and that wasn't something that he was going to have.

"I actually want to cry" Sophia said as Rory's words ran through her mind. My grandmother can play this game better then you and she's dead. Rubbing her hands over her face the words kept replaying. I hope you are better at warming the bench, because that's were you will be. JJ put her arm around her girlfriend, pulling her into a cuddle. She didn't want Sophia to have to deal with this. She knew that none of what was coming out of Rory's mouth was true, but she was scared that Sophia may not be as sure.

"I love you" JJ whispers into Sophia's hair line, wrapping her arms a little tighter around her girlfriends small frame. After everything that Sophia is going through, the last thing she needed was to deal with this crap too. JJ wanted nothing more then to protect Sophia and she made a promise to herself in that moment, that after her body stopped hurting so much she would come up with a plan to get Rory off there back. JJ knew that she would do anything and everything to protect the women she loves with every part of her being.

The abusive continued up until the first game of the season and it had really started to take it's toll on both the girls, they were finding it harder and harder not to believe the comments there coach yelled at them every training session. JJ had tried to reason with Rory, but to no avail. Rory wasn't going to listen and he was determined to make the girls prove themselves again.

Thankfully in the first game they did, both of them have one of the best games they had ever had, but after all of Rory's abusive Sophia found herself in a ball of tears after the game, sinking down the wall of the locker room showers, she let every ounce of pain pour out in her silent tears. She didn't call for JJ like she usually did when she broke like this, because this time she wanted to be her on strength, her own reason to pull herself together. The only good thing about all of Rory's comments was that neither of the girls had time to think about the pain they had pushed away regarding Luca. But as Sophia pulled her knee's up to her chest, Luca was the only thing on her mind.

Sophia had pushed away the pain for so long that it was bound to catch up to her. The pain of seeing his body on the bed, of watching her sister fight helplessly to get him to breath. The pain of watching the strongest person she knew completely broken, mentally and emotionally. In that moment Sophia wanted only Emily. She wanted her big sister to come in wrap a towel around her and carry her to the couch, where Emily would say everything right and would hold her until the tears dried. Sophia wanted all of that, because that meant that her sister wasn't broken, which meant that what had happened a couple of months ago never happened. That Luca was still the full of life little boy that Sophia loved so much more then words could explain.

JJ rounded the corner of the showers, immediately breaking into a run as she saw Sophia on the floor, sliding on her knees slightly she wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend. Pressing her tight to her chest, she rocked slowly back and forth as the silent tears began to become noticeable, to anyone close enough. JJ said nothing - what are you meant to say? - releasing her girlfriend slightly, she peered around the corner, relieved to see the locker room had cleared. She reached around the corner putting her hand blindly until she finally found a towel.

Wrapping the towel around her girlfriends fragile body, before cradling Sophia in her arms. Carefully JJ walked in to the locker room. Without words said Sophia let her girlfriend dress her, drying her off, and placing her clothes on. They both took each others hands giving the others a squeeze as they started the silent journey home. They both knew that no words needed to be had, JJ knew that Sophia was finally grieving and Sophia knew that JJ knew what this was, so they stayed in comfortable silence the rest of the night, just holding each other, crying together and eventually falling asleep in each others embrace on the couch, with the TV in the back ground.

A/N: Sorry for another really late update!!! I hope you like this chapter, I am trying a different type of writing, so the next few chapters are going to be written like this. I just hope you guys like it. Also the next chapters are going to be happening at the same timeline as this chapter. I promise to try and update this week or early next week. X