A Different Time and Place - A Collection of WoSo one shots.

Reacquainted (Stengel/Bledsoe)

Aubrey Bledsoe the starting goalkeeper, for the NWSL's Washington Spirit, had developed into a fan favourite during her time playing in the capital. Known for her highlight reels saves on the pitch and model looks off it, everyone wanted to get close to the keeper. Aubrey always went out of her way to make sure that every fan had a picture and or autograph before she left the field after games. But once she was away from the spotlight, she preferred calm and quiet, which led to numerous evenings spent curled up on her couch watching Netflix alone. She wasn't really an outgoing person and though she had plenty of offers to go out, she didn't normally accept many of them. In her experience, most people were more about hanging with Aubrey Bledsoe the star goalkeeper rather than getting to know Aubrey Bledsoe the person. She wished that she could meet a woman who would see beyond the goalkeeper kit and love the person underneath it.

Katie Stengel had once been a highly rated forward playing for Wake Forest University until the night she received a call that put her dreams of going pro on the back burner in favour of raising her younger sister Jackie. Their parents had been on their way home from celebrating their anniversary when a truck driver closed his eyes, when he next opened them, he was in the hospital and being charged for his part in the deaths of Mr and Mrs Stengel. With no other relatives able to look after her sister, Katie was forced to drop out of University and return to Florida to take on the care of her then 12-year-old sister. For the past 5 years, Katie had worked 2 part-time jobs, while looking after Jackie and doing online courses to complete her degree. She was always taught the importance of having a good education by her parents, so she worked away at it and finally had accumulated enough credits to finish her degree.

Jackie Stengel was a huge soccer fan and a star for her High School's team. She knew all about her older sister, what she had accomplished on the field and also what she had given up for her. She also knew that although Katie would never admit it, she was lonely, she had reached the point in her life where she wanted to settle down with someone and maybe eventually have a family. Katie had spent so much time making sure that Jackie had everything that she didn't take much time for herself or a relationship. Jackie had tried to encourage her sister to go out more often and meet people, but the elder Stengel declined more than accepted the idea.

One evening as the sisters were watching a Spirit vs Thorns game and Aubrey Bledsoe made a "Save of the Week," candidate off a shot from Tobin Heath, Katie started telling Jackie about how they went to Wake Forest together and she admitted that while they were teammates she had a crush on the keeper. She never got to act on it as Aubrey had a girlfriend their freshman year and halfway through their sophomore year, the accident happened.

"Why don't you send her a message and find out what she is up to these days aside from playing and if she is seeing anyone?"

"You've seen her, she's gorgeous, I'm fairly certain she is spoken for and even if she isn't, I'm nothing to look at. As the saying goes, "I've got a great personality."

"You need to stop underselling yourself Sis, you're beautiful, you just need to find someone who isn't so focused on landing a model that they can't see the heart of gold underneath."

"Thanks, Jack, how are things going for you dating wise?"

"High School boys are so immature!"

"Good! Keep it that way, you should be focusing on your schoolwork, so you can get into a good University."

"I am, I promise. Speaking of school work, I should get working on an assignment now." Jackie hugs her sister before making her way to her bedroom and getting her laptop going."

She starts her assignment but soon finds herself sidetracked and googles Aubrey and the Spirits upcoming schedule, to see if they are playing in Orlando anytime soon. After finding out they will be in town in two weeks times, she decides to see if she can set up her sister to meet her old crush again, while she is there.