Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sophie would be the first to admit that she had a hard life. Her mother died when she was young, not old enough to remember her beyond whispered lullabies and kisses. Her grandmother did her best to raise her until she was too old, at which point Sophie was forced to move in with Richard.

Richard was her sperm donor, not her father, despite his protests. Sophie didn’t even know he existed until she was eight. Then she was stuck in his house for a decade with his bitch of a wife and her terrible daughter…and Posy.

Posy wasn’t bad. She was younger than Sophie so she was caught up in the shitty dynamics of the family as well.

Sophie left his house a week after her 18th birthday with a backpack of clothes, her mother’s necklace on her neck, and a wad of cash from Richard’s safe. She never looked back, and he never reported her for theft.

Sophie assumed that was her inheritance.

Now Sophie had a new family with Simon, Kate, John, and Michaela.

She had love with Ben.

She also gained a new family of the Bridgertons, who seemed to act like small children around baby animals once they heard about how she grew up.

Sophie was fine…mostly. She worked hard, saved her money, and was determined to get through life without needing Richard’s help.

She was just waiting for life to…not be good.

If you asked Kate, and no one did, she would say that Sophie was a pessimist. Kate was not an optimist either, so she was being very hypocritical.

She was also right.

Sophie was waiting for the shoe to drop. That was life. It paid to be ready, so you didn’t get disappointed. Sophie knew the signs of when life was going to shit. The issue she was having was that she was not seeing any of them.

Life was good.

And looked like it would be good for the foreseeable future…Was this what happily ever after looked like? Was Sophie getting a happy ending?

“Babe, have you seen my painting shirt?”

Sophie looked up from her emails to see Ben standing in the doorway of the kitchen. He was shirtless, giving her a boyish smile. “No. It’s not in your room?”

“No. I think…” Ben hummed before backtracking. Living with Ben was an experience. He was as bad as John when it came to losing things. He also loved having her around him while he worked. He claimed that it helped him paint better.

Sophie recognized the starry eyed look in his eyes from Anthony when he looked at Kate, so Sophie allowed it. It was always nice to be adored.

Ben came back downstairs, his painting shirt on. “Found it. Okay, are you ready?”

Sophie stood up, phone in hand. “Ready to sit while you work.”

“You are an important part of the process.”

Ben was an hour into working.  Sophie was halfway through her 30 minutes of allowed Deuxmoi time when the front door unlocked. She heard the alarm code being entered. She locked her phone and looked up. Only a handful of people would know that.

“Hey!” Eloise and Fran stood in the doorway.

Ben turned. “Oh, good, you’re here.”

“Hi Sophie.” Eloise smiled.

“Hi?”

“Sorry to barge in. I wanted to knock.” Fran gave her an apologetic look. Sophie, while having siblings of the heart, did not really have siblings growing up. So this dynamic was strange.

They just came into the house?

“Babe, I’m giving Eloise some stuff we don’t want.”

“Okay.”

Ben and Eloise giggled as they left the room while Fran slid into a chair. She stared at Ben’s painting. “Oh.”

“What?”

“It’s you.”

Sophie looked at the canvas. It was her. Obviously, just started, but she could see the outline of her face.

“It’s going to be amazing.” Fran sighed.

“You think so?”

Fran nodded in her sure way. “Yes.”

She didn’t spend a lot of time alone with Fran, either Ben or Michaela was there, but she liked her. She was calm. According to Ben, she and Anthony were the most level headed. Fran usually beat Anthony because she was not very emotional.

Well, not emotional about anything but music and now Michaela, according to Ben.

So if Fran said the painting was going to be amazing, then it was.

They listened to Ben and Eloise move around above them before Fran sighed. “So, how are you holding up?”

Sophie looked at Fran. She seemed to genuinely care. “Fine?”

“Yeah? He’s not bothering you too much? Mick told me that you like your quiet time.”

Sophie smiled. “He gives me quiet time. He even participates.”

“He does?”

Sophie nodded. She was going to say how, but thundering footsteps interrupted her.

“Okay, we’re out of here.” Eloise pulled Fran out of her chair. “We’ll see you two later?”

“I’m sure you will.” Ben waved them off, back in painting mode.

“Let me lock up behind you.”

Sophie was treated to an appearance from Greg and Anthony later that afternoon, before Colin popped by for dinner, and Daphne with dessert.

It was nice…if strange. Sophie thought it over as she brushed her teeth.

“What’s wrong?”

She looked up at Ben, who was giving her a worried look. Sophie blinked. She had stopped brushing.

“Nothing.” She finished up before wiping her mouth. “Just…you see your family a lot.”

Ben nodded. “Is that okay? I know it’s weird. A lot of people I tried to date didn’t like it.”

“It’s…different from what I’m used to.”

“I can see that.” Ben hummed. “But you lived with your family.”

Sophie nodded.

“And you see them a lot. Which I think is very sweet.” Ben grinned.

Sophie grinned. “Oh yeah?”

“Yes. You’re as sweet as honey.”

Sophie giggled as Ben wrapped her in a bear hug and pressed kisses to her face.

The bright side of all of her siblings having a Bridgerton of their own was that they understood Sophie’s confusion. They were also very kind to meet her during the week. Everyone’s schedule was so jam-packed, but as soon as she asked, they dropped everything.

Even John, who was yawning at them over FaceTime.

“It’s very weird.” Simon agreed. John nodded from Simon’s phone screen.

“Simon and John are not a good metric for this.” Kate countered.

They weren’t. But Sophie was closer to John than Kate on the meter of how many people I want coming in and out of my house. Simon was the zenith with zero.

He would be -2 if he could be.

They all looked at very silent Michaela, who was texting on their phone. They looked up. “What?”

“Thoughts?” John asked.

“Regarding?”

Kate huffed. “The Bridgertons coming in and out of the house.”

Michaela shrugged. “Fran usually nips that in the bud for her own sanity. What’s this really about? Are you waiting for things to get shitty?”

Sophie grumbled under her breath. Michaela was too good at that. “Maybe.”

Michaela nodded. “I figured. Look, you are a hottie who should have a nice life. And you do. You got your man. Us. And the Bridgertons.”

“For better or worse,” John added. “You’re stuck with them. Did you know Colin and Ben text me daily?”

Sophie nodded. She did know that.

“They love hard.” Kate agreed. “I don’t think the shoe is going to drop, Soph.”

Sophie wanted to believe that. She was seeing none of the warning signs. Everything was perfect.

But…

Simon gave her a thoughtful look. “It’s hard, though. To believe it?”

Sophie sighed. She knew Simon would get it. “It is.”

“Well, Agatha says not to borrow trouble. So don’t.”

Kate nodded. “I know it’s hard, but I agree with Michaela.” Kate grimaced, causing Michaela to flick her shoulder. “Ow. What I mean is that you have a wonderful life, Sophie. You’re not in that house anymore. And if it does somehow go to hell. We’ll be here.”

“Damn straight.” John and Michaela said in unison.

Simon nodded. “What does Michaela always say? It’s coming up Sophie Baek?”

“Everything’s coming up Sophie Baek.” Michaela corrected.

“Yes. That.” Simon pointed.

Everyone laughed.

“Thanks, guys.” Sophie grinned. Talking to her siblings was the right move.

She came home to find Ben painting her portrait. He could see his love for her in the paint strokes.

It was strange. Sophie knew she was loved -  Hastings House constantly told her. Yet, she had never been loved through someone’s creativity before. She felt a piece of herself ache in happiness.

Ben looked up from his canvas and smiled. He pointed to the side table. “There’s a piece of mail for you.”

Sophie saw the envelope, forwarded to her by the post. She ripped open the letter and read it three times. She stared at it so long that Ben focused back on her completely.

“Who is it?”

“Posy.”

Ben set down his paintbrush. “Your stepsister?”

Sophie nodded. She gave me her phone number and asked me to call her if I want to.

“Do you want to?”

Sophie thought about it. Posy was the only bright spot in that house. Yet, she was so far removed from it. She had been away from the family longer than she had been “part of it.”

Posy was a reminder of before. The shoe…it was dropping.

“Does she still talk to them?”

Sophie shook her head. “She left after Richard divorced her mum. Finally.”

According to the letter, that happened a few years after she left. Richard apparently blamed Araminta for Sophie leaving and was devastated.

Sophie didn’t believe that. More like Araminta was starting to sink her talons into him, and he couldn’t have that.

Or he wanted to stop having flings on work trips and marry a newer model.

Sophie stopped thinking about Richard and focused back on the question. Did she want to see Posy?

She shrugged.

“I’ll go with you.” Ben offered. She looked at him. His shoulders were back, and he stood tall, ready to go to battle for her if needed. Ben, who was not a fighter, was ready to fight for her. Another piece of her mended itself.

“Really?”

“I won’t let her make you feel like you did before.” Ben’s face was stony.

Sophie nodded. She was scared, but with Ben there, she could do this.

“Okay.”

They met Posy at the coffee shop that Fran and Michaela raved about. She still had the same shy smile and gave Sophie a small wave as they approached.

“Posy, this is Ben. Ben, this is Posy.”

Ben politely shook Posy’s hand as they sat down. Posy slid over a coffee cup. “I got you caramel. I don’t know if you still like it or not, but it seemed very you.”

Sophie took a sip. “I do.”

“Good.” Posy shyly peeled off her heat cover. They sat in silence as Ben ran into the shop to get a cup of black coffee.

He sat back down, looking at them both with a comforting look.

“I’m sorry I didn’t do anything.” Posy blurted out.

Sophie furrowed her eyebrows. “You were younger than me.”

“Still, it was my mother.”

“She would have just turned her anger on you.” Sophie pointed out. Araminta was an equal opportunity bitch with the children in the house.

Even Rosamund got in the crosshairs if she decided not to listen.

Posy nodded. “My therapist keeps saying that, but I still feel horrible. It wasn’t right. What she…we did wasn’t right. I’m sorry, Sophie.”

Sophie nodded. Posy didn’t need to apologize. They were children, and she wasn’t cruel, like her sister.

But it was still nice to hear.

The silence lingered before Ben clumsily scraped his chair back. Sophie and Posy gave him matching WTF looks.

“Sorry. Just gonna…pop home. Michaela needs to borrow some…sugar?”

“Are you asking me?” Sophie asked.

“They’re your sibling.”

“And that means I know they need sugar?”

Ben shrugged. “Whatever. Nice to meet you, Posy.”

“You too,” Posy whispered. She shrank in on herself a bit. Sophie felt her heart stir a bit.

Ben kissed her cheek before scampering off. Sophie leaned forward. “So…did you go into history at uni like you wanted?”

Posy beamed. “I did. I’m in the middle of my graduate program.”

“Oh yeah?”

Sophie sipped her coffee while Posy rambled on about her focus on the relationship between Soviet Russia and China. She reminded Sophie of the kid who used to tell her about the books she read before Araminta came home and scolded them about reading.

It was nice.

Sophie came home, thinking about her morning with Posy. She was still the same - sweet and talkative. They made a plan to meet next week, to slowly get to know each other again. Posy was alone in the world like Sophie had been once. At the time, all she wanted was for someone to reach a hand out to her. Her family had done that for her.

So Sophie was going to do that for Posy. She was being the change she wanted to see in the world.

She unlocked her door to see her living room furniture covered in plastic, pushed toward the kitchen while Michaela and Ben, dressed in coveralls,…doing something.

Michaela was “shredding” on her electric while the paint jumped off her plastic wrapped amp onto one of Ben’s canvases.

The canvas held a line drawing of Fran on it.

Sophie walked behind them, shaking her head as she unplugged the amp.

Ben and Michaela turned.

“Oh, hi, love.” Ben smiled.

“Soph. What the hell?”

Sophie looked at the large spots of red and pink paint on her freshly painted beige walls. “Indeed, what the hell,” She pointed.

Michaela followed her finger. She winced. “Whoops.”

Ben grimaced. “Sorry. Mick is testing something. We’ll clean it.”

Sophie stared at the painting. “Is this…purposeful?”

“Yes. It’s an expression of how Fran makes me feel.” Michaela grinned. Ben nodded with gleeful eyes.

They both looked insanely proud of themselves.

Sophie now understood why Daphne and Kate were concerned about them having unsupervised time together.

She looked at the splattered red and pink on the canvas. It was surprisingly good. Still. Her walls. “I’m texting Fran.”

Michaela and Ben groaned.

After many weeks of coffee, Sophie and Posy were ready for Posy to meet the rest of the Hastings House family.

Posy had already met Kate, who treated her like she treated Edwina. Both seemed to enjoy that.

Sophie gave Posy a reassuring smile as she knocked on the door. Simon immediately opened it.

“Were you waiting?” Sophie asked.

Simon nodded. “Kate and Michaela.”

Sophie groaned. She heard Simon and Posy say hello before she walked into a staring match at the dining room table.

She missed John.

“Hey.”

Michaela waved. “Is that Posy?”

“Yes.”

“Hi.” Posy shyly said.

“Hi. Michaela. Everything Soph said is probably true.”

Posy nodded. “Hi Kate.”

“Hi Pose.” She didn’t take her eyes off Michaela, just narrowed them.

“What are we fighting about?” Sophie asked.

Simon shrugged.

“Kate? Michaela?”

Kate groaned and blinked.

“Ha!” Michaela cheered before turning to Posy. “Sorry about that." Michaela held out a hand. “Pay up.”

Kate grumbled before slapping bills into their hand.

“Wait, you two weren’t fighting?” Simon asked.

“No.” Kate rapidly blinked.

“Someone tried to go against the Master.” Michaela crowed.

“You two were having a staring contest?” Posy asked.

“Yeah. Want a go?” Michaela asked.

Sophie shook her head. “Oh no-”

“Okay.” Posy sat down before looking into Michaela’s eyes. “Ready?”

“I’m not going easy on you.”

Posy nodded, already locked in.

Sophie felt Kate pull her into the kitchen. Sophie kept her eyes on the match, with Simon standing there as the ref.

“Soph.” Sophie turned to see Kate leaning against the counter. “She’s fine.”

Sophie nodded. Posy was fine, laughing at her defeat before Michaela gave her tips. She felt a warm feeling she hadn’t felt since she first moved into Simon’s house.

Family.

It reminded her of her mother.“You okay?”

Sophie nodded, blinking back the surprising tears. “Thinking about my mom.”

Kate smiled. “She’d be happy you’re happy.”

Kate bumped her hip before asking if they were ordering food or going out to eat. Sophie shook herself before joining in Simon’s petition to order in.

She got home to see a trail of rose petals up the stairs to their bathroom. She also noticed that her walls were 100% beige again.

Oh Ben.

Sophie found Ben filling the bathtub. “Hi?”

“Hey.” Ben grinned before pulling her into the bathroom. “You’re home.”

Sophie nodded. “What’s all this?”

“Just wanted to take care of you. Posy said it went well.”

“She called you?”

Ben nodded. “Yeah, letting me know she got home safe.” He started undressing her.

Sophie went along with it while his last sentence stuck with her. He asked Posy to let him know when she got home.

Ben did that to his siblings every time they left his presence.

Now hers apparently.

She stepped into the bath, letting Ben drop in a bath bomb. “Are you not joining me?”

“If you want.” Ben shyly offered, pulling his shirt off.

“I want.”

Ben grinned before pulling off the rest of his clothes and hopping in. It was a tight squeeze with his long legs, but they made it work.

She sighed as she leaned against his chest, enjoying the silence they were in.

“I want you to come to the family dinner.”

Sophie looked up. Ben gave her a wary look. “You do?”

“You don’t have to go but I want you there.”

Family dinner was serious, only for people who are going to be there forever. “I’d love to.”

Ben beamed. “Really?”

Sophie nodded. “We’re going to be together forever.”

Ben nodded. “You are so right.”

“I always am.”

She kissed Ben’s grin before sighing in delight.

Everything was coming up Sophie Baek.