ғᴏᴏᴛsᴛᴇᴘs | ᴋᴍ ✔︎

Drummer Kid

"Pain is power with a price tag"
- Nothing More

The next morning was bittersweet. Most of the team had left by lunch, only Christen and Kristie remained in Orlando but just for an extra day or two. Cody was petting Blue as she sat on the beach not far from her mother's home.

"Hey," Alex approached, holding a hand out for her daughter and hoisting her to her feet. "Lets take a walk."

Wordlessly, because she was expecting it, Cody walked side-by-side with Alex along the beach, occasionally throwing a tennis ball for Blue. It only reminded her that she should be doing this with Zeus, and someone took that from her.

"How are you feeling?" Her mother asked, as if sensing that Cody's mind had gone to a dark place.

"I've been better." Cody admitted before turning to Alex with a smile on her face, "But I've been worse." 

Alex simply nodded, an arm wrapped around Cody's shoulder as they walked a little further in silence. It was a comfortable quiet, it made the younger woman feel safe and it was only until that moment that Cody understood what Kristie had meant the night before. She does feel more secure with Alex around, whether Alex knows that or not.

"Do you want to talk about last night?" The taller brunette questioned quietly, almost like she was afraid to say it too loud.

Sighing deeply Cody shrugged before she wrapped her left arm around her mother's waist, using her as an anchor before delving into any kind of detail about her nightmare.

"It was just a bad dream."

"Talking about it might help, baby girl." Alex gently pried, planting a kiss on her daughter's head.

Cody removed herself from her mother's hold, her left hand immediately latching onto the rubber band on her right wrist and repeatedly snapping it against the flesh. It worried Alex, she wanted to help Cody, and now she can't help but think that she's pushed Cody over the edge.

"I was back there." Cody took a deep breath before exhaling shakily. "It felt so real. I could feel the coldness of the floor, I could feel myself freeze when he was...I could smell his breath."

The first four words were all Alex needed to hear before she pulled Cody into her arms and listened carefully as her daughter continued to explain her nightmare as best she could as she hid her face in her mother's shoulder, her hands grasping Alex's Pride shirt as best they could as they shook.

"I was wondering where you went, but it was like reality was a dream and the dream was reality...I know it doesn't make sense but I just...I don't know. Then Jack woke me up."

Alex's mind flashed back to her own mother telling her that Cody will always need her, that she should be patient until Cody opened up to her, and now it was happening and Alex was speechless. She didn't have a pep talk to give, she wouldn't even attempt the empty 'it'll be okay', instead she opted to be more open with her daughter.

"You'll never be in that house again, baby girl. Can I tell you something?"

"Anything." Cody mumbled, pulling away only enough to wipe her eyes.

"Before you got here, and you and Jack were driving across the country, I was having nightmares, too. They bothered me so much that I even had a few panic attacks."

"What were they about?"

"You." Alex studied her daughter's face, mentally debating with herself whether or not she should be brutally honest - could Cody handle it? "

"Just tell me."

"Okay," Alex sat down atop a dune, smiling softly when Cody followed suit and cuddled up to her. "It started as an everyday kind of worry, something all moms get. 'Will my child be okay? Will they be safe?' and one night had this dream. The worst dream I've ever had-"

"If this is about me stubbing my toe against table leg then this build up sucks."

"I wish." Alex sighed, staring out to the ocean as the vivid dream flashed in her minds eye. "I was at your funeral."

Even though her daughter is sat beside her, thinking about being at Cody's funeral would always make Alex want to puke. The elder Morgan wanted to stare at the sea forever, but the silence beside her made her curious, and so looked to her daughter to find her already staring back at her in shock.

"I didn't think it was that bad...or that you would tell me." Cody chuckled but it was forced.

"I was thinking about making something up, but we should be honest with each other. So I get it, to encounter a bad dream so vivid and realistic, I know that it's gonna stick with you. I'm not gonna sugar-coat anything with you, baby girl. But I will always be here to listen."

The two sat silently for ten more minutes before they made their way back home, Blue following behind them and occasionally jumping into the water.

When they entered the kitchen they found Tobin, Kristie and Christen chatting over coffee, both women turned to smile and greet the two Morgan's.

"Hey, where's Jack?" Cody asked immediately.

"Are we not good enough company?" Tobin grins.

"No. Just ask Press." The younger Morgan laughed heartily when Christen choked on her coffee. "Seriously though, where's my long-lost sister?"

"She went out for milk." Kelley announced, surprising everyone when she entered the room.

"I thought you left." Press muttered, watching O'Hara carefully.

"Wishing I did before that Jack quip, huh?" Kelley smirked at her fellow Royal. "But I wanted to spend time with my  best friend before I left."

Cody's phone began to ring, once again stopping Press' from really poor 'I'm not into anyone' routine. "Oh, speak of the devil."

"Hey Maxi." Jack spoke from the other end of the line, the call on speaker. "Can you pick me up?"

"What do you mean 'pick you up'? I thought you only went out for milk?" Cody asked, confused expressions filled the kitchen.

"Uh-yeah. I got milk." Jack insisted before pausing. "And a drum kit."

Once the chuckles had surpassed, Cody took the call off speaker as she waited for Alex to retrieve her car keys from the hiding place. "I don't think a full-size kit will fit in my car."

In the store, Jack was meandering around, "Well...if it doesn't fit then I'll just pay extra to get it shipped home."

Jack hung up on her best friend before sighing and turning to face the familiar woman, she didn't want to lie to Cody. "Great. I feel like shit when I lie to her."

"You could always buy a drum kit."

"Yeah, looks like I have to." 

The woman accompanied Jack to a run-of-the-mill music store, she stopped just outside, "You can't tell her. If they think for a second that she knows something, I don't know what will happen."

"Why are you even trying to help her? I mean, yeah you testified to get her uncle sentenced but you were still a complete bitch."

Jo sighed, she couldn't deny that. "I know that, just like I know that nothing I say will put you at ease. At the end of the day she's my sister, so I'm gonna help her any kind of way I can."