ғᴏᴏᴛsᴛᴇᴘs | ᴋᴍ ✔︎

Panic Attack

"No one will ever love you as much as your mother."

Cody and Jack stopped at a park in New Mexico, en route back to Houston. They both felt cramped and physically tired so they agreed to get in a workout. Jack mostly agreed to keep an eye on Cody, who was complaining about a pain in her leg which was slowly getting to 100% - driving across the country was definitely not helping.

But Cody wasn't gonna stop.

She was stubborn.

Like her mother.

While Cody and Jack were working out, going through agility training, building the resistance in Cody's healing limb, Alex was getting back from her own work out with Orlando Pride, only to find a family invasion of her once-quiet home.

By the time Alex stood in the doorway, glancing back to her car to ponder if she can escape without getting noticed, Jeri was in front of her.

"Where's my favorite niece?"

Grumbling, Alex softly closed the front door behind her, petting Blue before answering, "I told you, Jer. She's driving from State to State until she gets here. She's in New Mexico. Should be in Texas soon."

"But whyyyy?" Alex smiled as her sister whined - she looked so much like Cody. "That takes so long!"

Before Alex could tell the other Morgan to shut up, another voice beat her to it, "Jeri, dear, be quiet and let your sister into her house."

"Hi mom," Alex grinned, melting into her mothers arms and wondering if this is how Cody feels when she hugs her. She hopes so. "You're tense. What's wrong?" Pam whispers, out of ear shot of Jeri who is always around.

Alex pulled away from her mom, looking into the warm and inviting expression on her face, the concern in her eyes. How can she tell her mom that she herself doesn't feel like a mother. Not in genealogical sense, but she constantly feels like she's never really been there for Cody, not when it's counted. Her daughter wasn't a kid anymore. She was a young woman, completely independent, with her own career.

How can she tell her mother that she feels like a failure because she never experienced her own daughter's first steps, her first baby tooth falling out, her first soccer game, her first goal. What about her first fight with Jack, or her first A in school - did she ever get an A in school?

Did Alex even really know Cody?

The panic in Alex's face was clear for everyone to see, as were the shaky and shallow breaths she was taking. Everything around the soccer superstar was starting to blur, tears welling up in her eyes made it difficuly to see and everything surrounding her was so muffled that she could only hear Jeri's voice, but couldn't make out that her sister was simply repeating – "oh shit, oh shit. Tobin! Tobin!"

Pamela refused to let herself panic, she knew better than to restrict Alex more by wrapping her arms around her, and so settled with rubbing her daughter's back, trying to comfort her during her panic attack, which was not the norm for Alex - Cody, maybe - but not Alex.

Pamela and Jeri moved to the side as Tobin came sprinting into the living room where Alex was now sitting on the floor, Blue by her side. Pam rarely felt useless when it came to Alex, she was always stubborn and stable, she reminded her of Cody, if she was being honest - they were both strong on so many levels that sometimes things just become too much, and they crumble.

Jeri watched on as Tobin held her sister's face in her hands, talking quietly so they couldn't hear or as a way to get Alex to focus on just one thing - listening. As Alex begins to take more control over her breathing, tears finally begin to fall and Tobin brushes them away with her thumbs as Blue licks Alex's arm - his own form of comfort, but it works as Alex chuckles.

Jeri and Pam watch the couple - and Blue - with small smiles on their faces but one question was swimming in everyone's minds, Tobin's too.

What was that all about?

Two days later, Jack was pulling up outside her home in Houston, and it didn't take a genius to know that she was scared shitless.

"Any ideas?" Cody asks her blonde friend who was silent, her death-grip on the wheel only tightening at Cody's words.

The blonde had confided in Cody - as she always did - about her thoughts on going long distance with Rachel. There were so many pros, but there were just as many cons, and the anxiety in Jack's system was reaching inhuman levels. Her stomach was in her ass and her brain had fled her body entirely.

"Hey," Cody gripped Jack's bicep, pulling her friend back to reality, "You need to breathe, okay? And Listen to me, because everyone knows I'm the mature one in this friendship."

Cody's attempt at a joke was enough to elicit a small chuckle from her best friend, who was trying not to puke all over the car.

"Just breathe, and think about what you want. There is absolutely zero pressure for you to be in a relationship that you're not happy in. And if you love her, then give it a chance."

Zeus barked happily from the backseat as Jack killed the engine of her best friend's muscle car and wordlessly exited the vehicle, letting the dog catapult out after her. Cody hesitated for a second before following Jack to the front door and furrowed her brow when the blonde raised her hand, almost as if to knock, before shaking her head and opening the door.

Cody shared a look with Zeus before following their friend into the home she shared with her girlfriend. The best friend's expected Rachel to be packing, maybe moving boxes spread all over the home, instead they found Rachel on the couch, ESPN on, coffee in hand and Kristie on the other couch. Both the Houston player's face lit up when Jack and Cody entered the living room.

"Jack!" Rachel beamed, jumping from the seat - after placing her coffee on the table - and engulfed the Idaho native in a bone crushing hug, lifting her off the ground slightly.

Cody moved over to Kristie, both taking a small moment to appreciate their respective best friend's being happy and seemingly in love. The moment for Cody is broken when Mewis wraps her in a hug, burying her face in the brunette's neck before muttering a quiet, "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Krissy."

"That's gross." Jack interrupted, laughing as Mewis and Cody threw her glares and jumping away when Rachel tried to slap her upside the head.  "No, but seriously. Get a room."

"Well..." Cody shrugged in agreement, waiting for Kristie's answer, despite the playfulness in her tone.

"Okay, I'm leaving." Mewis chuckles before removing her arm from around Cody's waist and grabbing her keys.

"Was it something I said?" Jack and Cody say at the same time, leaving everyone a little taken aback.

"Yes," Kristie answered while smiling. "And, spend a few hours away from each other, you're morphing into one person and it's weird."

Jack saluted, "Aye, aye, Captain."

"Yes, ma'am!" Cody smirked.

Rachel says goodbye to her friend before Cody runs after the Houston player, leaving the couple behind her, "Wait!"

Kristie turned when she felt a hand on her forearm, and found her favorite person smiling at her. "Yes?"

Ignoring the teasing tone in Kristie's voice, Cody asked, "We're still on for tonight, right?"

The brunette felt small when the blonde hummed, a finger tapping her chin in thought. In truth Kristie wanted to grab Cody's hand and take her out right at that moment, and so to tease the girl was actually grueling work for her also.

"Absolutely."

And with a kiss left on Cody's blushing cheek, Kristie left.