Holiday Prep At The Preaths'

Murphy's Law

"Hey, Murphy, have you seen AT anywhere?" 

"I'm not her keeper, I'm just a keeper. Isn't that kid your roomie, Cap?" Casey Murphy retorted sourly, scowling petulantly at an unimpressed Rebecca Elizabeth Sauerbrunn. 

Becky's arms were folded as she stared the keeper down. "I asked you a question, Casey. Where is she?" 

"She's a grown ass adult, let her handle her own problems. If she hasn't contacted y--" 

Casey's reply was cut off by a hand clamping on her shoulder, and a hard swat to her backside. She jumped- Becky was still facing her.

"Where." growled Alyssa Naeher. "Did At go off to, brat?"

"Fuck, Alyssa!" 

That just earned Casey another swat and she became horribly aware they were standing in the hotel hallway.

Alyssa propelled Casey into the room she shared with the younger keeper, Becky following. "You will tell us what you know, Casey Grace Murphy." Becky said firmly. "A.T. is eighteen, she has no business being away from the team without one of us knowing where she is." 

"And I'm one of us." Casey sulked. 

Alyssa and Becky exchanged a long look. "Cut the bullshit, Murphy, we don't have time for this. Thompson's a California kid, she doesn't know this area. 

The twin glares were enough to convince the keeper she'd better start talking." 

"So after we won tonight, AT was at loose ends, a bit." 

"Because she wasn't asked to dress, again?" Alyssa asked quietly. 

Casey nodded jerkily. "Yeah. She went out into the hotel, I was walking with her, she saw a cute guy-"

Becky cleared her throat. "Does this cute guy have a name?" 

"Noah." Casey shrugged. "That's all I got. He got talking, found out it was her birthday recently, asked her if she'd like to go out. She told me she was going with him and I told her to keep her phone with her and on. Pinkie Pie promised, even." 

"And you said she was a grown ass adult?" Becky raised an eyebrow at that.

"Hey, adults like that show too." 

"Not arguing with that, but go on. Where did they say they were going?" Becky steered Casey back to the topic at hand. 

"Someplace fancy, sounded like. Henri's, maybe? Something French?" 

Luckily, Becky knew where that was. "Lys, have you got Casey in hand here?" 

The look the senior shot her protegee was not at all promising. "Oh yeah, I've got her, Brunn. Consider her dealt with." 

Becky nodded and left, letting the door swing shut and lock with the two keepers left behind. On her way to get to her rental car, she took Alex Morgan away from the team party that was just beginning in the hotel restaurant. Luckily Charlie was safe in bed with her father to watch her. "AT's gone off by herself." 

"What?" 

"That's what I said. Murphy said she went off alone with some random 'cute guy,' a fan, I guess- I hope- and they've gone to Henri's." 

"AT doesn't have that kind of money on her." Adult or not, Alyssa Thompson was still young and her spending was carefully regulated. "You think the guy was planning on treating her?" 

"I hope that's all he was planning on doing." Once they got out of the hotel, Alex and Becky got in the car and headed off. The captain holding the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip. She barely kept to the speed limit. "See if AT's contacted Tierna at all, would you, Alex?"