ғᴏᴏᴛsᴛᴇᴘs | ᴋᴍ ✔︎

Coming Home

"I can't go on without you."
- KALEO.

The Olympics were coming to a close and while Cody loved seeing her mom and friends kick ass - as always - she was doubting her place on the Thorns team. With all the starters coming back into the fold, she was feeling threatened.

"Jack and Press play well together." Kling muses as she once against joins Cody and Hope in watching the US game. The defender was oblivious to the smirks from the other two women.

"Yeah." Cody glances at Hope and makes eye contact. "They should."

Once again the defender misses the point and focuses on the screen as Jack runs along the wing, preparing a cross for Press. It lands at the forward's feet and she curls it into the back of the net.

"WOO!" Kling cheers.

"She's gotten better." Cody smiles, her eyes trained on Jack who embraces Christen, a lingering hug between them. "I'm happy for her. For them."

"Me too." Hope smiles, an arm wrapping around Cody. "And of you."

"Are you guys ready for the others to come back?" Hope asks once halftime arrives.

"Yeah, I can't wait." Kling sighs. "I'm getting too old for all these rookies."

The defender receives a few looks but nevertheless no one says anything about it. Hope was already focusing her attention on the quiet Cody who retreated into the kitchen to get more coffee. The ex-goalkeeper follows her, leaving the 'I'm-too-old' child in front of the TV.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh? Nothing." The Morgan feigns.

"All these years later and you're still an awful liar." Solo laughs, pouring herself a coffee. "What's going on?"

"I'm just worried." 

"About...?"

"My place in the team." Cody sighs. She wanted to talk to someone about it, but she didn't want to bother her mother, who was still on a high after setting a date with Tobin and scoring a few goals in the Olympics. They're just excuses - she knows her mother would drop everything for her, but Cody didn't want that.

"Why? You played great a few days ago, unless you know something nobody else knows." Hope frowned. "You're just coming back from injury, Cody, and to have a game like that? That's staking a claim to a starting place. I haven't seen you play as a forward very often."

"That's what I mean, though. I don't like being a forward." Cody chuckles. "I used to, but I prefer midfield now. Anyway, with everyone coming back from the Olympics I just don't...I don't know."

"You don't wanna be pushed out." Hope states, a knowing look on her face as the sunlight trickles in the window behind her.

"Yeah. I know it's selfish."

"It is, but it's also understandable. Everyone wants to start every game, if they tell you otherwise then they're lying. No one likes being stuck on the bench." Hope rests a comforting hand on Cody's shoulder. "I also think you have nothing to worry about."

"You don't?"

"No. Portland waited for you, Cody. If anything it shows how invested they are in you and your future. They want you, or you wouldn't be here." Hope smiles, guiding the younger woman back to the TV where Kling is waiting.

"Where's my coffee?" The defender asks.

"Kids shouldn't drink coffee." Hope states, sipping from her own cup.

| Alex | 

One more game, and then we're Gold, and we're heading home.

One more game until I'm back with my daughter.

That 'one game' can't come soon enough.

"Are you sure about this Alex?" I was asked once again as I held a conference call with my coach and some of the board members.

"I am. I think it's time."

The room was quiet, on their end and mine as Tobin, Allie, Ashlyn, Ali and Emily all smile at me. Some are sad and some are encouraging. Truth is I had thought of nothing else for a few months. I thought of all the good times; being part of an inaugural team, all the goals, the assists. I thought of all the bad moments, the defeats. 

Nothing compares the my reason though - Cody. It all comes back to her and I will always bet her first. No matter what. Whether she knows she's the reason or not. 

In the end, I had missed half of her life and I'll be damned if I miss any more of it. No, nothing will change my mind.

"There's nothing we can do to change your mind?" My coach asked. For a moment I wonder if requesting a transfer or trade for my daughter would keep me happy but I quickly dismiss it.

"I'm afraid not. I've made my decision."

_______________

It was the last game, they're so close to gold that Kling is hard to calm.

"COME ON, COME ON, COME ON!" The defender yells as she runs around the room in circles.

The Thorns were gathered in the press room, the game on the largest screen we could find - thank the Thorns for the projector - and all they needed to do now was wait. 

Wait. That's a concept lost on Meghan. 

"COME ON!" She screams as she makes her next lap around the room.

"Who gave her coffee?" Hope asks, taking her seat next to Cody.

"How did you get in here?" Morgan ask her, her brow furrowing.

"I walked in." The brunette shrugged. "Would you try and stop me?"

Cody blinked, "No. I'd hold the door open for you."

The team went into a discussion about what the score would be and who would score. There wasn't any surprising answers - Alex, Rose, Christen, Linds and so on.

Then it happened. It was like a badly timed music class where the teacher instructs the students to play at certain counts but they all just ignore the instruction and play at the one time. Yeah, that's what the sound of a room filled with unsynchronized notifications going off sounds like.

"Holy shit!"

"No way!"

"That's gotta be wrong."

"News, I take it?" Hope smiles as Cody unlocks her phone to see a recent tweet blowing up.

"Wow. She really did it."

"Who did what?" Hope asked quietly, letting the rest of the team speculate between themselves.

"This." Cody smiled, handing her phone to Hope.

*A/N - To see what's going on with Jack and Christen, or 'The Jo Situation', you'll have to read 'Jack'. Finished and available now.