| Jack |

I'm kissing my best friend. We've made out before, but this feels different. This isn't fuelled by alcohol, this isn't some dare at a party. I'm kissing her because I'm into her.

"You're thinking too much." Cody breathes out as she pulls away from me, trying to regulate her breathing.

"Sorry." I mumble pathetically, before pulling her back in again.

I don't expect it to go anywhere, I just wanted to show her how much I like her, but I'm left shocked when Cody walks me backwards until the back of my knees hit the bed and I tumble down, with my best friend on top of me. I watch in admiration as she straddles my waist and grins at me, her hair falling down around her face, and my own as she leans back over me to kiss me.

"Oh My God!" We hear a loud voice screech and we pull apart, looking for danger when we spot a wild Kelley, grinning like a madman, and Alex who looks a mixture of angry and confused. "I fucking knew it! Hope! Hope!" Kelley continues to yell as she runs out of the room, looking for my mom as Cody stands from the bed and I follow suit.

"You...and you?" Alex asks, trying to piece everything together. She's also obviously trying to calm herself. "Since when?" Cody glances at me, and I shrug.

"Can we talk about this later, mom?" I release the breath I didn't notice I was holding when Alex nods slowly.

"Tell her I'm not lying!" Kelley groans as she pulls Hope into the room by her arm.

"Not now, worms." Alex states coldly before walking away.

"Uh oh. Mama Morgs is angry." I glare at my 'other mother', who throws her hands up in mock surrender. "Just sayin'. But why? You two would be so cute. Where's Kling and Pinoe, I need a ship name, co-captains, A WEDDING PLANNER!" My eyes widen as she seriously jumps the gun with my relationship with Cody, who just laughs it off. But I know my best friend, I know her awkward laugh which basically means 'get me the fuck outta here'.

"Can you all...you know...get out?" Hope smiles and nods, grabbing Kelley by her arm this time and exiting the room. I turn to Cody, "I know you're leaving, and kissing you was...stupid but just ignore Kelley. I know you just ended things with Kristie, and you need time-"

"Jack?" She cuts me off.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." My brow furrows when she laughs before wrapping her arms around my neck, and kissing me again. Fireworks go off inside my stomach as I wrap my own arms around her waist, pulling her in for a hug. "I know it's not ideal, with me leaving, but we'll figure this out, okay?"

I don't answer, I just kiss her neck and squeeze her in my arms, smiling when I hear her sigh in content.

| Kelley |

"Why are you so sour, Alex? You know Jack, she's good for Cody."

"I know-"

"Then why the hell did you react like that?" I cut her off, genuinely hoping that she doesn't have any kind of issues with Jack because I want the girl to be happy. She struggled after Ellie, and I know it was her fault for how it ended.

"Cody only broke up with Kristie a few days ago and we all know what happened with Jack's last relationship."

"That's not fair." I tell her, trying to contain my annoyance before it turns to anger, "Jack owned up to her mistake, and we both know she wouldn't do that to Cody, she loves her-"

"What?" She cuts me off now, and I think over what I said.

"I didn't mean she's in love with her, but we both know there's some kind of love there. She looks at Cody like she's the most precious thing in the world."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, ok? I'm just worried."

"About Cody?"

"About both of them. Cody's leaving, Kel. She's signing with a team in England, we both know long distance is hard, I'm just worried that they're getting together at the wrong time."

"Does Jack know she's leaving?" I question, immediately concerned for her emotional wellbeing. I don't know how she would be able to handle her best friend leaving.

"I don't know."

"Jack and Cody? Really?" Kling asks as some of our teammates join our conversation, something I'm wishing they wouldn't do right now.

"Shut up, Kling." Alex immediately ends any hopes of the conversation resuming, much to my relief, and she walks away.

"Wait." I turn to Kling, and Pinoe who is standing with her, as the others are spaced out around the lobby, "Did anyone say anything to Kristie?"

| Alex |

We eventually had to say goodbye to our friends, get our shit together and head back to Idaho. It was awkward, the unanswered questions about this new relationship my daughter and her best friend may be having are left in the air. Even as we land, and head to Hope's car which she left at the airport, the discomfort I'm feeling doesn't ease.

It's nice to be back here, where I first found my daughter, and keeping my emotions in check is difficult as all the memories flood back. From Kelley telling me that she thinks she found Cody talking with Tobin in the stadium after the game against Chile, to seeing that man hit her in the parking lot. All the trouble of just trying to get her back, and all the hurdles that were placed in our way.

Now we're back here again, to sign her first professional contract, and pack some of her bags. A new beginning that I'm not entirely ready for. Being in Orlando was tough enough, even Blue missed her. He would bark and yelp happily whenever I'd Skype with my daughter. I just want to keep her beside me at all times, but I know that's not logical, or fair on her.

I was late back into her life, and I had no hand in raising her, my own child. It's a miracle to me that she's not an asshole, considering how she was raised. Yes, her being an addict is obviously not something I'd ever want for my daughter, but I have to look on the brightside - she's alive.

I know she wants to make me proud, and it disappoints me to the ends of the earth that she doesn't see how proud I am of her already.

I'm pulled from my reverie as Hope turns onto the street where my daughter has been living with her and Jack. Nicer memories replacing the darker ones as the house comes into view.

"Keep going, Hope." I instruct the terminated 'keeper who asks why, catching the attention of the best friends in the back seat. "Just don't stop!"

"What the fuck." I hear Jack mumble as Cody gasps when she sees the woman that thinks of herself as my daughter's mother. "How did she find you?"

I look back to my daughter who clutches to Jack, clearly feeling unsafe, only heightening my anger. I take my phone out and call the police, knowing they're looking for her, as Hope drives and parks around the corner.

"Jack, switch." I tell the teen, climbing out of the front seat and swapping places with Jack. I wrap my daughter in my arms, feeling her begin to relax, I glance at Jack who looks worried, but her eyes hold an anger that I admire - she really does love Cody.

Not soon after we hear sirens closing in on the neighborhood. Hope and I leave Jack and Cody in the car as we stand outside at the corner, watching as the woman who hurt my daughter fights with the officers who attempt to cuff her. It takes four men to calm her, basically hauling her to the ground with her hands behind her back, slapping the metal bracelets on and lifting her, putting her into the squad car.

"Did they get her?" I jump when I hear the unexpected voice, turning to see my daughter watching the flashing lights outside the house.

"They did, don't worry, baby girl." I wrap my arm around her shoulder as hers wrap around my waist. I kiss her head as she lays it on my shoulder, watching an officer approach us.

"Miss Morgan?"

"Yeah?" Cody and I answer at the same time making me chuckle as she smiles at me.

"Thank you for calling, we'd been tracking Mrs Dennings for almost a year, with multiple sightings in and around town but whenever we got there, she was gone."

"So...it's over?" Cody asks quietly, a hopeful look in her eyes.

"It is, until the trial, but you're safe now."

The officer eventually leaves and we make out way inside, with one question on my mind - how did she find my daughter's house, when my daughter wasn't even in town? She clearly didn't follow her home, so who told her?

| Cody |

Jack and I left Hope and Alex downstairs as I pack some of my stuff. I wasn't leaving right away, I had to finish school first.

"So you leave over summer?" Jack asks as she sits on my bed.

"I do, why?" I respond, throwing some of the clothes I rarely wear into a bag, leaving it in my closet.

"We always talked about taking a roadtrip. I think we should, before you leave."

"I can't say no to that." She grins before standing and wrapping her arms around me. I always felt safe with Jack, only now it's a feeling that's increased. I feel at home in her arms. I kiss her, taking her by surprise because she pauses for a moment before kissing me back.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, mom?" I pull away from Jack to see Alex standing at the door, smiling at us.

"He's here."

I almost sprint down the steps to the living room, and find a man in a suit, sitting on the chair. I shake hands with him as he introduces himself. I'm joined by my mom, obviously, and Hope and Jack, once our visitor said that it would be okay.

We spoke contract lengths, salary, teammates, camp callups if they ever happened and how the club would support me through it all. We spoke about living arrangements, possible roomates - everything.

"I just need your mom to sign here." The man pointed at the dotted line, and Alex signed it before handing the pen to me.

"And lastly, I need to you sign here, Cody."

I stare at the dotted line, directly beneath my mom's signature. I look at Jack, the girl who is always there for me, the girl I can rely on, the girl that pushes my emotions into overdrive, and she smiles at me. Looking back at the paper, I rest the pen at the line. I feel my mom give my knee a squeeze and my hand writes my signature.