Growing Up

Chapter 8

Mariska didn't really like the fact that Sophia had pushed Chris as far away from herself as possible. She was thinking about how her life wouldn't have been the same if she hadn't had a relationship with her father, and she wanted Sophia to be as close to Chris as she had been with Mickey.

"Mom? Uh, can we go home now?" Sophia asked, as she looked over at her mother. They had been sitting in the SUV for nearly 10 minutes, and Sophia knew that her mother was stuck in her thoughts.

"Y-yeah, kid. Do you want to get dinner first?" Mariska asked, and Sophia shook her head.

"No. I think Donna was making us fish tonight. I kinda want that."

"Oh, okay. Yeah. Lets get home."

===

6 Months Later

Sophia transfered to a different school after she reported the girls that had been beating her up. Her bruises faded and her arm, ribs, and nose healed. She didn't go to school fearing that she'd be shoved into the lockers or go into the locker room and get beat up. Sophia got her braces off and it gave her some more confidence, but she still felt like she looked like a boy a bit still.

Mariska watched as her daughter started to smile more. How they actually sat down and talked every night. It was a complete 180 flip from where they had been before.

Chris still wasn't a part of their lives. He didn't call or message them. He didn't care when Mariska called him and told him about how Sophia was doing better, how they both were. He seemed to have forgotten about them all together. It was confirmed when Sophia saw an article online that talked about how Chris Meloni was engaged to a girl closer to Sophia's age than his, and that they were expecting a child together.

"Mom? Can we talk real quick?" Sophia asked, as she walked into her mother's room. Mariska looked up from where she was reading the newest script.

"Yeah. About what?"

"This." Sophia breathed. She carried over the piece of paper that had the article on it. Mariska had taken her glasses off, but she put them back on when she realized that she had to read something instead of just listen to her daughter talk.

"He's engaged..." Mariska trailed off with a sigh. She looked up at Sophia and saw the frown that had settled onto her features.

"How do you feel about this?" Mariska asked.

"I wish that you were the one who was getting a happy ending. Not him." Sophia spoke, before she climbed onto the bed and sat on the foot of it as she waited for her mother to respond.

"I have had my happy ending, Sophia. I'm looking at it right now." Mariska spoke, smiling softly.

"Didn't you want to have more kids?"

"If I want more kids, I can adopt. Or I can just give all my love and time to the girl I already have."

"Stop being cheesy, Mom. We tell each other everything now. Like when I saw that it looked like I was finally started to fill out, I ran in here and told you while your makeup was getting done for the Emmy's!" Sophia exclaimed, but she was smiling a bit. It was the weirdest thing she had ever said to her mother. 

All she did was run into her mother's room and yell that she was getting boobs. She didn't care that other people were there. She was just excited that she didn't look like a boy with really long hair anymore.

"Yes, we tell each other everything. But my emotions and thoughts in regards to your father need to stay in my head so I don't say anything that I might regret."

"So, you think that Carly Golden is probably a porn star, because her name sounds like she might be one or a stripper?" Sophia spoke, and Mariska shook her head as she rolled her eyes.

"Go work on your homework. I have to continue to read through this script before tomorrow. And if I get on your computer and see that you are searching her name, I will ground you."

"Oh geez. Fine."

===

Sophia knew that at some point she needed to get more information on Carly Golden, but she didn't know if she should wait until her mother decides that she wants more information too, or if she should go against what her mother said and Google her.

Sophia didn't even get a chance that night to search, because she had to work on a project that she and her first and best friend, Koda, were presenting tomorrow.

"Did you see the article online about your Dad?" Koda asked, as she and Sophia headed to class. This school was for those who had been picked on at other schools. Same stuff was taught, but it was just a smaller and safer environment.

"Yeah. I did. I showed my Mom but she threatened to ground me if she found out that I had searched my soon to be stepmommy." Sophia groaned.

"She looks like a stripper." Koda laughed, which sent Sophia into a laughing fit too.

"Okay, so since you know about it I'm sure everyone else does. But lets just try and focus on our project."

"Ah yes. Something that we will probably get a failing grade on." Koda smiled, before looking at the clock and swearing.

"We are going to be late. Run, Soph, run!"

===

At the end of the day, Koda and Sophia got on the subway and took it as close to the set of SVU as possible. Once they arrived where they were taping on sight, Koda and Sophia walked towards where the crew was breaking.

"Hey, girls. How was school?" Mariska smiled, as she drew Sophia into a hug before mussing up the dark blue hair that Koda had.

"Good. We aced our project, so that's good. How's the taping going?" Sophia asked, before hearing her name called. She turned around and frowned when she saw Chris for the first time in 6 months, and beside him was his fiance.

"Mom." Sophia whispered.

"You don't need to talk to him. I don't know how he knew we were here, but for some reason he does."

"She doesn't look like a stripper in person." Koda spoke, and Sophia elbowed her in her side.

"Shut up. Uh, lets catch the train back and we can hang out at my house. Now." Sophia spoke. She quickly kissed her mother's cheek before grabbing Koda by the hand and sprinting back the way they came.