14 Months 09-10: Valentine's Day

The clip had a surreal quality as the misty mountainside shots allowed the couple almost to play hide and seek amongst the clouds as the lyrics spoke about not being able to let her go even while knowing it was time to let her fly free on her own. The video showed a CGI link between their hearts so even as she flew away, she was drawn back to him time and again. Quite a few of the CGI enhanced effects seemed to rob the story if its authenticity in Sophie's opinion but when it ended, she clapped wildly again and congratulated Stella on a stunning clip. Then turn to watch the view of the art installation for the gallery. The installation too was heavily affected by lighting effects and mist machines as the mannequin Stella danced amongst the trees a glowing light in the centre of the chest to illustrate the tie to her lover.

She barely heard the banter of the men she sat with as she nervously awaited her own clip. There was no way it could be as fabulous as Layla's and Stella's, and she bit her lip feeling both men at her sides place a hand on her leg as if to soothe her anxiety with their touch. She placed her hands over them as the screens changed again as she sat transfixed by the Team Sophie screen followed by the song choice, Fallen Angel by Three Days Grace.

There was a flash of white to the next screen that cleared as a misty cloud might be blown away leaving a picture of Sophie asleep her artfully tangled hair slightly obscuring her face in sections as she slept, the camera panned out exposing more of her naked body once again. She was strategically covered by white satin sheets but still bared enough skin for the viewer to believe her bare to all behind her. The camera continued to pan out as the introductory chords played quietly without crashing into the song until Zander clad only in boxers rose from the bed behind her and exited the room. Then the eyes of the screen Sophie popped open looking brighter green than she knew them to be and she gasped softly. He'd made her look ethereal, angel-like just with the ambience of the set and props.

"No fucking way!" came an explosive deep male voice from the back of the room making Sophie Jump as the song lyrics started slow and soft as screen version of her was expelled from heaven and began the fall to earth in the darkness of the night sky lit only by the burning end feathers of her wings.

"Shut up!" someone else growled in a threatening tone, but the murmurs from the back row continued with talk of "Fucking Jack" and "Has to be CGI" to a constant barrage of hushing sounds.

Sophie looked up at Darius and then at Zander, both had their eyes trained on the screen, but they held her hands firmly as if worried she would jump up and run away because of the incredulous murmurs at the back of the room. She tried to take in the crashing through the night club roof scene and then the prowling hunt of Asher through the dimly lit hell fired night club and all the demons she danced with. The appearance of Zander and his anger at Asher's seduction of her through the slow and sensual dance before the tug of war between the two men with her as a rope, eventually having her dragged back up to the sky by the angel who had loved her before she fell.

"Fallen angel, close your eyes. I won't let you fall tonight. Fallen angel, just let go. You don't have to be alone," the last chorus sang, and Sophie saw herself in Zander's arms as they rose into the night sky. "Fallen angel, close her eyes, I won't let you fall tonight. Fallen angel." The clip ended and there was silence from everywhere around her.

"Don't panic Sophie," Asher said loudly into the silence. "They are all just awed by my supreme acting skills." This announcement was followed by groans and flying popcorn as the screen flickered to the art installation showing the mannequin of her in the dress and feathered wrap looking into a mirror showing the sweet innocent angel, she had been at the beginning of the clip wrapped in crumpled white silk with bed tasselled hair. The small room pulsed between dim red light of the night club and bright blue reflected light from the mirror.

"I call bullshit!" The same male voice which had called out at the beginning of the clip yelled into the new silence. "That girl isn't real. She only exists as a figment of Jack's imagination. I don't know what you're all trying to pull here but if I got called in for an emergency BlackJack meeting for this bullshit, then you will all regret it."

"Who called an emergency meeting?" Jayce's voice cut through the tension.

"That would be me," Tom raised his hand like a naughty schoolboy. "And you all know why. Let's get some truth on the table not just for us but for them. Those three women are in danger and you haven't even told them so they can be more vigilant. That's beside the point. Sophie, come help me out for a second, angel."

"Fuck off, Tom. Didn't you cause enough trouble before the gala, with your truths?" Zander growled coming to his feet and turning on his brother with surprised eyes as the three brothers who had yet to meet Sophie stood with Tom staring at the back of Sophie's chair.

Sophie looked at Darius and slowly disengaged her hand mouthing the words, "I'm okay." She then gave him a tight smile and stood to turn around to face Tom and the newcomers feeling Darius stand with her for support. She stared back at the men for a few silent minutes before deciding to speak and defend herself.

"I'm Sophie, I'm very real and not CGI or whatever special effect you thought I was," she sighed. "I know I look strangely like a sketch Jack did but that sketch is not me and I am sure Jack will tell you I am nothing like the Angel he drew. He can barely stand to be in the same room as me, so that tells you I am not what any of you think I am or should be," She shrugged as if not knowing what else to say. "And you are?" she prompted.

"The loudmouth is Nick the Dick, professional arsehole," Zander growled.

"He must get along well with Darius then," Sophie laughed, and Darius tilted his head back and roared with laughter, surprising the assembled gathering. They were so used to his temper flashing at the slightest jest at his expense it was jarring to see him not only take the insult from the tiny woman beside him but laugh at it.

"I deserved that," Darius said brokenly through his laughter and putting his arm around Sophie's shoulders. "Matt is the tall one and Kai is the quiet one," Darius added.

"They're both quiet, right now, and everyone looks tall to me, you can't be more specific?" Sophie asked, making more than one person laugh at her observation.

"I'm Matt," the taller of the two men walked towards them. "It's nice to meet you, Sophie, don't take any notice of Nick, it's just who he is. The first to call bullshit and the last to apologise when he's wrong." He gave her a lopsided grin and took her hand to shake. He smiled and went to greet the other girls with the same beautiful manners.

With the outburst from Nick and Matt moving around the room to meet and greet the three woman the tension seemed broken, and the production crews also hovered about their assigned couples looking for feedback on the clips and installations. Then as if by some secret signal they all began to disperse and head back to their hotel leaving the three women with the thirteen brothers who seemed wary of each other now.

"So, tell the truth how did you do it?" Nick asked inspecting Sophie like an inanimate object. "If it's plastic surgery the Doc was good she looks so natural."

"Maybe you and I can exchange names because whichever doctor took that dick off the centre of your forehead didn't leave a scar," Sophie shot back staring at him in the same curious way. Then she lifted a hand with her finger extended to move the hair on his forehead aside as if to inspect the spot. For a moment, everybody around her froze, including Nick himself, then she was forcibly dragged away from him by the arm around her waist.

"Let's not poke the bear," Darius chuckled placing himself between Nick and Sophie.

"He was looking at me like a science project," Sophie grumbled pushing Darius's arm away. "I don't know what's going on here, but I didn't sign up for whatever this is," she huffed. She felt a mixture of emotion, not the least of which was anger that these brothers kept treating her like she was an exhibit in a freak show when they met her the first time. Finally, free of Darius, Sophie stalked over to where Connor and Layla stood. Layla was using Connors body as a shield against the other people in the room. She hadn't coped very well with the clash between her past and her present at the Gala and seemed to have reverted back to her withdrawn state. Layla looked up at Sophie's approach and gave a bleak grimace.

"Sucks to be you right now, I guess," Layla whispered. "Connor showed me the album when I noticed how everyone watched you more closely than the rest of us, even Connor and David."

"What album?" Stella asked, coming to join them.

"It's a long story you should probably ask David," Sophie sighed.

"So give me the short version," Stella said, hating that she was the one left out of what was going on tonight. She knew it was her fault that the other two girls didn't trust her as much as they once had but she was doing the penance, and she wanted the friendship back desperately.

"Jack drew an angel when the guys were like fifteen. I bear a vague resemblance to it," Sophie admitted.

"There's a painting too. And the resemblance is a little more than vague which is why the brothers all seem so shocked when they first meet Sophie," Layla added.

"Where's the album?" Stella asked. "I want to see for myself."

"All the brothers have one, I think. David would have one at his house. But the painting? It's at the Black Jack headquarters wherever that is," Sophie's brow furrowed as she suddenly realised she wanted to see it too just to prove that it wasn't her or anything more than a passing resemblance.

"David," Stella raised her voice slightly to get his attention. "Where is Black Jack HQ?" she asked sweetly, and he raised his eyebrow and looked around at his brothers who were suddenly watching him.

"You're standing in it," he said uncertainly as if this was a trick question.

"Wait this is HQ? I thought HQ was the clubhouse," Bear rumbled in his deep bass also sounding confused.

"Why do you want to know?" David asked, dropping his voice and coming closer to their little group with Bear at his side.

"There's supposed to be a painting there that looks like Sophie that everyone in this room has seen except me. I just want to be in the loop," she sighed.

"I have a copy of the original drawing at home. You can see it when we go," he reassured her.

"Oh shit! I never noticed," Bear frowned. "I guess I never paid much attention to it because I was out of scholarship gang by then," he chuckled. "I enjoyed seeing the drawings, but by then, I had discovered porn, so don't be offended that I didn't make the comparison."

"Bear, you just became my favourite brother," Sophie laughed and hugged him.

"Hear that you losers? I'm the favourite brother," Bear said loudly, wrapping his arms around Sophie and hugging her back. Asher choked and grumbled moving towards her and Bear with deadly menace.

"Food's ready let's go," Tom announced from the doorway.

"Wait!" Sophie cried out as she found herself pulled from Bear's arms at the announcement. Darius had taken her and begun to walk towards the door. "There's something I have to do, first," she said, pushing against him again until he put her down. "Where's Jack? I need to thank him even if he doesn't want to be anywhere near me. It will be easier with people around."

"Alright," Darius frowned, wondering about her assertion that Jack didn't like her or want to be near her at all. "Jack got a minute?" Darius called out and Sophie stepped behind him shielding herself from Jacks line of sight.

Something wrong with the clip or installation?" Jack asked leaving his brothers and walking back towards Darius his eyes looking around for her as he approached.

"Not at all it's amazing," Darius grinned. "We just wanted to thank you properly," Darius said then looked to where Sophie stood half behind him and took her hand drawing her out into the open beside him. He saw Jack slow in his progression and stop at least a metre away from them making him frown.

"Jack, it's beautiful, thank you," Sophie said quietly. "I'm sorry you got stuck working on mine but I am grateful for the great job you did even though you obviously didn't like the subject," she grimaced and looked down at her feet.

"What the fuck is going on with you Jack?" Darius demanded. "I thought she was joking when she said you didn't like her but this is ridiculous."

Jack looked between Sophie and Darius and opened his mouth as if to speak but instead turned and walked away saying nothing. Leaving Sophie where she was Darius went after him and put a hand on his shoulder roughly spinning him around to look at him.

"What the fuck, Jack?" Darius shouted and pushed him. "Not even a simple your welcome to acknowledge the fact that she spoke to you?" He demanded. "You came to us about being part of her security team. You wanted control of this clip and installation and now you won't even acknowledge her when she talks to you? Have you fucking lost your mind?"

"Darius, stop! It's fine, it is what it is," she said with resignation and sighed.

"Say it again I dare you," Zander stalked toward Sophie from where he had been standing at the bottom on the stairs.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to say thank you for all the hard work and I have fucked it all up again," she shook her head. "I'm going to say goodbye to Layla and Stella and then I'll go home and stop ruining everyone's fun. I am so over this stupid fucking brotherhood Alliance thing," she stormed not heeding the threat from Zander who had banned her, "it is what it is" saying. She moved to walk around Zander but he caught her arm.

"NO!" he said simply. He pointed a finger at Jack, "Start talking because none of this is her fault and only you can reassure her of that. I'm not going to have her threaten to leave again because you've been an asshat!"

"I've waited more than half of my lifetime for her. Not you," he looked at Darius, "Or you," he turned his hard eyes on Zander. "Yet you found her and took her for your own, not even a call or a heads up. The one thing I had wanted in the world, the thing I craved and dreamed of and you took her made her your own. I can't stay away but I can't be near her either. I can't touch her because I won't stop. I can't not protect her knowing how much danger she is from both the Alliance and the family," he paused as Sophie drew a sharp breath at his words. "So, you tell me what I am supposed to do, how I am supposed to act right now. She was mine and you took her and made her your own, and put her in the middle of a war she knows nothing about, and ask for my help to keep her safe," he accused the other two men. "You tell me. What I am supposed to do about that?"

Darius and Zander stared at him stunned by the confession but Sophie moved toward him quickly and wrapped her arms around him.

"I had no idea how hard this was for you, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you," Jack exhaled and gave in to the feeling of her pressed against him for the first time and hugged her back. Fuck he wanted more, he wanted so much more of this woman. He released her and pulled away. "Food," he barked out in a harsh breath. "We all need food."

Jack stepped away from her and bounded up the stairs before his brothers could stop him again but rather than going to the kitchen, he left the house. He'd given Jayce all the information he'd dug up so far on the Alliance and Family motivations for having the six women who all seemed inextricably linked together. Jayce could lead the answers to Tom's questions. There was no good reason for him to stay and so many for him to leave. He would watch her from a far, he had his own resources to keep her safe. He had promised he would keep her safe and he intended to keep that promise. Even if it killed him to do it.

*****

14 months 10: Valentine's Day Part 2

*****

Valentine's day landed on a Friday and finding it odd to wake up in the big bed alone, Sophie rubbed at her eyes and rolled over to look at the bedside clock. It was late, and she frowned wondering why Darius had left without his usual wake up tryst to start their day off with endorphins. Pushing the thought away, she got up and went to the bathroom. Her half-asleep mind went back over the night at house seven a few days ago.

The rest of that night had been a revelation to Sophie and to some level Layla and Stella as they discovered their links to underworld crime families and that the Alliance council had a special interest in their progress through the game. None of it made any sense to Sophie as both Stella and Layla were forced into their respective situations by underworld figures. At the same time, she had chosen to work for Michelle herself rather than remain homeless and alone. When the discovery of her background was shared and the fact that her beautiful and loving mother was, in fact, Frankie Calabrese and Jack's true angel, she had been surprised. The real shock though was that she had been pronounced dead in the fire, along-side her parents. Added to that she discovered she had been placed purposefully with her foster father who had been tasked with keeping her safe. The fact that he hadn't kept her safe from himself and many years of abuse had been uncovered, had sealed his fate and ultimate execution by the family. With all of this new information, everything that was happening to Sophie, began to make more sense as did all of the overbearing concern and security she had to live with since signing the first contract with Darius.

Even with all of that information swimming about her head, it was the look of pure pain and devastation on Jack's face after she had hugged him that lingered the most strongly with her. Jack had not been seen since their confrontation that night. As far as his team knew he hadn't returned to White Cliffs but neither had he gone back to the safe house he had been staying in since returning there to pack his belongings and disappear. Sophie hoped that he would show up at the art gallery tonight so she could apologise for pushing that confrontation to happen, but she had a sinking feeling he was gone for good. She had pushed the men she cared about into that confrontation and now regretted it badly.

Standing at the sink brushing her teeth it took a few minutes for her to realise that the thing blocking her view was a note and she leaned forward splashing more water on her face as she rinsed out her mouth, then dried her hands before taking it and unfolding the piece of paper.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Beautiful Angel," she read and looked into the mirror now that she could see properly thinking she looked anything but beautiful. "Dress in what we have left out for you on the dresser and go down for Breakfast. Trent and Leo will take you shopping for what we want for Valentine's Day, D & Z."

"Okay then," Sophie said out loud and followed the instructions in the note. She dressed, went downstairs and had breakfast with the two men who then took her shopping. They had stopped at the plaza section of the shopping complex for lunch and chose a small bistro with modern Australian cuisine. Excusing herself to go to the bathroom, the two men watched her walk toward the rear of the restaurant where they could see the doorway and reassured that the only way out would be back past their table neither followed her.

Sophie gasped as a drag queen, sidled up beside her at the washbasin. The woman was tall with very male features that seemed somewhat familiar to her. She turned to leave, but a large hand reached out to grab her arm, and the other put a finger to her lips.