ғᴏᴏᴛsᴛᴇᴘs | ᴋᴍ ✔︎

Heart to Hope

"Wake up, survive.
I will get better, yeah, one day at a time."
- Elley Duhé 

"Did you tell her yet?" Jack asked as she warmed up alongside Alex, Tobin and Kristie. The Carter woman was nervous for her Olympic debut and wanted to talk about anything else.

"No, not yet." Alex muttered as she continued stretching.

"Why not?"

"She was busy." The Morgan woman shrugged, rising to her feet from her knees. "She had a meeting with Mark about her injury."

"That was days ago, Alex."

"I'm well aware of that, thank you, Jack."

"I'm just saying, she should know." The blonde shrugged before carrying on with her own warm ups. 

"She has a point." Tobin added. "Cody should know we set a date."

"I know. We'll tell her later, okay?" 

Back in Portland, Cody was watching the game with Kling and Hope. It had been a while since she had really spent time with them and it brought her mind back to when she first met them. When she was just a troubled kid who would have panic attacks, run away, get high. Or when Jack would freeze when she would set eyes on Hope.

They were both immature kids. Now they're immature adults.

"What are you thinking about?" Solo asked as Kling went out to the store complaining that Tobin had hidden 'all the good snacks'.

"Just thinking about when Jack and I first met you and the others." Cody chuckled, shaking her head. "We were so young."

"You're still young, relax." Hope grinned, playfully nudging Cody with her shoulder. "I was thinking about that, too. You've both grown so much, I'm proud of you. Both of you."

"Can I ask you something? It's been on my mind for years now." 

"Anything, Cody." Hope spoke softly, turning in her place on the couch to face Cody, giving the younger woman her full attention.

"Why did you adopt Jack?" Cody asks gently. "I mean...you didn't have to, you didn't even know her."

Hope took a few minutes to gather her thoughts, picking her words carefully. "I was wondering when you would ask that question."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you're extremely protective of Jack. I was expecting this conversation a while ago."

"Sorry." Cody quips sarcastically.

"I adopted Jack because I seen myself in her. Her own situation and struggles reminded me of when I was younger. No one really helped me, a few relatives but that was all. I wanted something different for Jack. The day I met her was the day we got you outta that place, and I had never seen someone so young be so angry and determined to help their friend. She had a heart of gold, she still does, and if I'm being completely honest...she helped me as much as I helped her."

"What do you mean?"

"I had only recently 'retired'." Hope sighs. "I was angry, frustrated and disappointed. I thought I had my career and life planned out, then it was all gone. Done, in the blink of an eye, like everything I achieved and worked so hard for didn't mean anything. Like I didn't mean anything. Jack...she saved me, Cody. She gave me something to focus on, someone to care for and look after."

"I never knew you felt like that." The younger Morgan mumbles, suddenly feeling like she overstepped a boundary.

"No one knew. Not even Jack. Not even Kelley. It's one of those things that's easier to talk about after the face. Like you and your issues with addiction. Talking about difficult things don't just get easier overnight, we work at them and chip away at our insecurities until speaking freely is...almost natural."

"Wow..." Cody trailed off, just staring at the wise woman, her mouth agape. "I should talk to you more often."

"Anytime you like, kid." Hope chuckles just as Kling comes back through the front door.

"What did I miss?" The short defender asks loudly from the kitchen Cody shared with Tobin.

Glancing at Hope for a final time, Cope smiled and said, "Nothing yet."

"What?" Kling asked, coming into the room and looking from Cody to Hope and back again. "I meant line-ups..."

"Oh. no surprises, except Kristie's starting." Hope nodded to the TV as the camera panned to the two Mewis sisters on the field talking, waiting for kick-off.

"Jack's on the bench." Cody smiles. 

"Wishing it was you? Kling questioned Cody, watching the screen and not the woman.

"I'd be lying if I said no." Cody laughed. "But I'm proud of her, she deserves this and right now she deserves it more than I do."

"You'll get your chance, Cody." Hope insisted, draping an arm over Cody's shoulder and bringing the Morgan girl in for a side hug.

"I know."

The game was at the seventy-five minute mark when the US and Australia decided on making subs. The ball was still in play as Jack stood at the sideline. To her right, and on the other side of the official, was Ellie. It was a surprise to Cody that the blonde wasn't starting for Australia, the pundits suggesting that their head coach was 'trying something new', but judging by the 3-0 scoreline in favor of the States...well, safe to say that plan failed.

"Bit late bringing on Carpenter." Kling grumbled. 

"Who are you supporting?" Hope laughed. It had been the seventh comment of that kind from Kling, the kind that made you second guess which team she wanted to win.

Cody ignored the bickering adults as she watched her best friend enter play, coming on for Sam Mewis. Jack slotted in on the left of play, Heath moving to the right and Alex staying in the middle.

"Aww, it's like a family affair."

"What the fuck are you even talking about, Kling?" Cody groaned but chuckled all the same.

"I don't even know." The defender shrugged.

It was another five minutes of missed chances for both teams, Ellie making an immediate difference for the Aussie's, before Christen came on for Alex. It was awkward for Cody to watch Jack going up against Ellie, her ex, in order to play the ball to Christen, her...something, hoping she can get another goal.

Or maybe Cody was just overthinking.

On the screen Jack faked right before going left down the flank towards the goal and away from Carpenter, she spots Press in the box, loosely marked, and brings her left leg back to swing at the ball when Ellie recovers and makes a last ditch tackle. She gets the ball but makes contact with Jack, who goes down, landing on top of the Aussie.

"Of all the places to land." Hope laughs as she hears Cody muttering away to herself.

The footage shows Ellie standing over Jack holding a hand out for her, and eventually pulling the American to her feet. The two chat as they make their way into the Australian box, before splitting up.

Nothing comes of the corner and the immediate aftermath. On the eighty-eighth minute Jack takes advantage of the high attack from Australia, which included Ellie, and initiates the counter-attack. She charges up the left flank, Press in the middle, Heath on the right and Kristie a few paces away from Christen. Jack plays the low cross to the front post area, perfect for Press to run onto and easily slot the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net.

"'And Press makes it four, finishing a perfect low cross from Carter! The Idaho native collecting her assist on her Olympic debut!'"

Cody smiles as Press jumps into her best friend's arms moments before the rest of the team bombard the duo.