When we get back to the States, I'm taken into the team's orthopedist, and everything, partial tears in my knee, so I just need to rest up. If everything goes to plan that is. If not, I'll need surgery. Which is exactly what I want. Note the sarcasm.
"So? What'd she say?" Ash asks as she stands up in the waiting room, since she was the one that brought me.
"I'm six months pregnant and it's yours." I say, crutching my way past Ashlyn and to the door.
"That doesn't even make sense, we're at the orthopedist's office, not a-you know what, nevermind." Ash says, opening the passenger door for me and taking the crutches from me when I'm in the car. When Ash gets in the driver seat, she looks over at me. "Seriously though." She says and I sigh.
"The tears are partial, if all goes well, I'll just need rest, but if my unlucky ass gets, well, unlucky, I'll need surgery." I say and she nods, fousing on the road.
"So do you want me to drop you off at home or do you want to come to practice?" Ash asks and I groan.
"Just take me home." I say, resting my head on the window and staring at the traffic in front of us. Of course I feel Ashlyn's gaze on me, but I ignore it, only looking over at her when she sighs.
"Alright." She says before heading home to drop me off and when I'm at home, on the couch in the living room, she gives me a smile. "I'll be right back." She says and I sigh.
"I'll be right here, my crutches are across the room." I say and she nods, moving them to where I can reach them. "Go to practice, you goon." I say and she chuckles, leaving.
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Ashlyn
-
"So how'd the appointment go?" Ali asks as we all sit at our usual table, eating before practice.
"Well, she was pretty talkative the ride to the appointment, and she refused to let me go in with her, and after she was kinda withdrawn, I'm kinda worried." I say and they just look at me, waiting for me to continue. "Her tears are partial, so she should just need rest, but she doesn't think that she'll be lucky enough to heal just like that." I say and they nod.
"You sound worried." Alex points out and I nod.
"That's because I am. This is Y/N we're talking about. She has a penchant for just dropping of the map at times like these."
"Well, we just need to make sure she knows that we've got her back." Ali says and I nod.
"Yeah, I guess you're right, I just hope she won't be her usual stubborn self and just shut us out."
-
After practice, all three of us head to the house to see Y/N coming back to the living room, most likely from the bathroom, and when she looks up at us, she waves a little before heading back over to the couch and laying back down.
"Hey guys." She says, sitting on the couch and setting the crutches on the floor in front of the couch as she gets comfortable.
"Hey you." Alex says, leaning over the back of the couch and wrapping Y/N in a hug.
-
It's been a few weeks since Y/N's orthopedist appointment, and she's still the same, withdrawn and moping around. I'm still worried, and the girls all think she's just hurting, the Pride and the National Team. Even Tobin is chalking her behavior up to pain, you'd think that after four years of being together, Tobin would know Y/N and how she behaves in certain ways.
"You guys don't get it." I say, shaking Alex and Ali's hands off of my shoulders as we sit at our post practice breakfast. "Y/N is acting weird as hell, and nobody is choosing to see it except for me." I say, getting up and heading into the locker room to get my things, not even bothering to change out of my practice gear and head home, expecting to find Y/N sulking on the couch with her leg up, but furrow my brow when I find the living room empty, so I set my bag down by the door, right next to Y/N's and check the kitchen to find that vacant as well. "She's asleep in her room." I tell myself, jogging toward her door, stopping when I find it open and her room void of my best friend as well, her Jeep was out front, though, because I have the keys so she won't try to run off, or drive with her ankle and knee in the condition they're in right now, but I guess it didn't work, so I rush to my bag and pull my phone out and call Alex, she of course answers on the third ring.
"Ash? What's up?"
"Y/N, she's missing."
-
Y/N
-
I sigh as I get off the plane with my bag on my back and head out to where my ride is waiting for me, when I get there, the driver smiles kindly at me, helping me with my crutches, when she gets in, she asks for confirmation on the address and I nod, saying that it's correct, and turning on my phone so I can see what I've missed. As my phone turns on, I look out the window at the town as it passes by, and look down at my phone when I feel it start to vibrate like crazy, 50 texts from Ash, the same amount from Ali and Alex, 30 texts from Tobin, five missed calls from her, and the girls, everyone on the Pride and National Team is texting and calling me, Abby, Christie, Boxxy, Cheney, Whit, Chups, Hope, Emma, and my family all are trying to get a hold of me too, I sigh as I lock my phone and look over at the driver as she speaks.
"Running from something?" She asks and I shrug, looking at my phone again as I get a call, this time from Newt.
"Not running, taking a break." I say and she nods, looking at me closely.
"You seem familiar. Are you on TV or something?" She asks and I huff out a laugh.
"Something like that." I say and she furrows her brow. "I'm a soccer player." I elaborate and she nods.
"Y/N Y/L/N, right?" She asks and I nod.
"Yeah, that would be me."
"Shouldn't you be in Orlando?" She asks and I nod, looking at the unfamiliar house we're rapidly approaching.
"I should be, but I needed to get away." I say as she stops in front of the house. "I need you to not say a word to anybody about me being here, please." I say and she nods, taking the payment and watching as I pay her extra just so she won't say anything. She parks the car and helps me out, handing me my crutches after I've got my bag on my shoulders and I thank her for the ride before going up to the front door and knocking, ignoring my phone as it buzzes against my thigh in my pocket, waiting for the front door open and offering the man in front of me a smile as he just stares at me, completely confused.
"Who's at the door, hon?" I hear, and look over his shoulder at the familiar face as she gasps. "Y/N?" She asks and I wave as best as I can with the crutches.
"Hey."
-
Tobin
-
"Where could she be? Seriously. Where in the hell could she possibly be?"
"Ash, chill." I say, watching Ash pace in her and Y/N's kitchen over Skype.
"How can I chill, Tobin? How are you so calm?" She asks, turning on me, and I sigh.
"I'm just as worried as you are, Ash, hell, I'm freaking out worse than you are, but I know that she's a grown woman, she can take care of herself." I say and Ash groans, looking at her phone.
"Yeah, but everybody is trying to get ahold of her, and nobody is getting a response, not even her family, you'd think that she'd either be with them, or at least answer them."
"Maybe she just needs to get away." I say and Ash stares at my image on her computer screen for a moment.
"What do you know, Heath." She says and I roll my eyes.
"Nothing that you don't Ash, we're all in the dark about this, my girlfriend isn't the best at communicating her whereabouts to me, you have to remember that." I say and Ash sighs.
"You don't seem to understand that I lost my best friend. Like, she ran away on my watch, do you know how bad that feels?" Ash asks and I sigh.
"Give her some time to clear her head, you know how hard she is on herself, she'll come around. When she does, we all know you'll be the first one she contacts." I say and Ash nods.
"Yeah, okay, you're right. I guess." She says and huffs, groaning as she runs her hands through her already extremely tousled hair. "I need a drink." She says and I raise a brow, watching Ash pull out a bottle of whiskey and pour herself a glass.
"How do you hide that from Y/N now that she's Shark sized?" I ask and Ash chuckles.
"It's an agreement we've come to. I don't drink it and she doesn't throw it out." She says and I nod. "But she's not here right now, so." She continues and I shake my head.
-
Y/N
-
"What the actual fuck are you doing here, Y/N? You've got the whole damn world worried about your ass!" Hope scolds as I sit on her couch, Jerramy had gone off to get out of the house, per Hope's orders, so she could scold me, of course, though, according to her, she's just lovingly apprehending me.
"I've seen." I say and Hope just glares at me.
"So why haven't you answered me? Abby? The girls? Your damn girlfriend?" Hope asks and I sigh. "You're telling the girls you're here." Hope says and I raise my brow at her.
"Why's that?"
"Because the girls that are in Seattle for the Reign/Huston game tomorrow night are coming over in about an hour. I know you came because you knew I'd be there for you, but the teams are worried about you, Y/N, Tobin says that Ashlyn is losing her mind over in Orlando.
"I'm not going to show my face." I say and she sighs. "I just need a break from everything, and if Pinoe, Moe, and Carli find out I'm here, someone is bound to tell Ashlyn." I say and Hope comes over, sitting beside me and resting a hand on my left knee.
"You know Carli won't tell anybody anything that they're not supposed to know." She says and I sigh.
"I know." I say and reciprocate the tight lipped smile Hope offers me.
-
Hope
-
I show Y/N to the guest room and let her rest for a while as I get ready for the girls to show up, and when they do, we talk for a while over our food, and as everyone is lost in their own conversations, I pull Carli aside.
"What's up?" She asks and I sigh.
"So I have something to tell you, but you can't tell anyone, and I mean anyone." I say and Carli furrows her brow, but nods.
"What is it?" She asks and I sigh, motioning for her to follow me to the room I had Y/N in. When I get to the door, it's open and Y/N is laying on the bed, probably asleep, so I just point at her and look to Carli. "Is that?"
"Yeah, showed up a few hours ago, I yelled a little, she sassed back as usual, I told her you and the girls were coming, and she almost booked a flight to the North Pole. I told her that I had to tell you. But you can't tell anybody. And I mean anybody. She's here to rest, get away from everyone babying her so much." I say and Carli nods.
"Of course. I won't tell anybody. I promise." Carli says and I nod, watching as Y/N sits up and looks over at us.
"Oh, hey, what up you guys?" She asks and I chuckle.
"Hey, Y/N/N." Carli says and Y/N smiles a little smile.
"Hey, Car." Y/N says, stretching.
"Have a good nap?" I ask and she nods.
"Hell yeah. Naps are always great." She says and I nod.
"We'll leave you to rest, before the girls come looking for us." I say and Y/N nods before laying back down and falling back asleep almost immediately, so Carli and I head back to the girls and enjoy the rest of the night, and in the morning, as I'm sitting in the kitchen just admiring the view, I look over when I hear Y/N's crutches coming this way and smile at Y/N when she's coming toward me. "Morning, sunshine." I say and she groans, obviously having slept too hard. Her cheeks are puffy and her eyes are just exhausted.
"Morning." She mumbles before sitting on the stool beside me. "Hey, I didn't get the chance to say this yesterday, but thanks for letting me stay here. You could've easily booked me a hotel and sent me there, but you didn't, and I appreciate that, I really do, Hope." She says and I smile.
"Well, what kind of friend would I be if I turned away someone as close to me as you were before I was booted from the federation, when they were in need?" I ask and Y/N smiles. "So what's your plan?" I ask and she furrows her brow.
"My plan? For what?" She asks and I point to her knee.
"We can set up an appointment for you at the Mayo Clinic here in Seattle. See what they say and can do about your knee." I say and Hope shrugs.
"Don't I need a referral to get an appointment there?" She asks and I nod.
"Call the Pride's orthopedist and talk to them about the Clinic. I'm sure they'd agree that Mayo could help you. Patch you up and send you on your way." I say and Y/N sighs, but pulls out her phone and calls her orthopedist.
"Orlando Orthopedics, how may I help you?" The lady that I'm assuming is the receptionist answers the phone and Y/N takes a deep breath.
"This is Y/N Y/L/N. I was wondering if I could talk to Dr. Reid." She says and there's a short pause.
"Ms. Y/L/N, the team is very worried about you. I'll patch you through to Samantha." The receptionist says and Y/N nods.
"Thank you." She says and there's a long pause before someone else speaks.
"Y/N, it's wonderful to hear from you. Everyone down here is worried about you, even the men are starting to worry. How may I help you?"
"Well, you see, I kinda ran off to Seattle, and I'm staying with Hope, she recommended I get ahold of you and see what your thoughts are about sending me to the Mayo Clinic here. Get a second opinion about my knee and see what they can do if my knee has gotten worse." Y/N says and her doctor chuckles.
"I was about to call you about the same thing. See if you were open to the suggestion. But since we seem to be on the same page, I'll get ahold of the Clinic in Seattle and get you an appointment, then call you back with the information."
"Sounds great." She says before the doctor hangs up and Y/N looks at me.
"Thank you."
"For what? I just gave you an idea."
"Something I never would think of on my own." She says and I shrug.
"So, I have some errands to run, you stay here and keep that leg up, I'll be back soon." I say and Y/N nods. "Don't worry, I'll bring you some food." I say and she nods again, grabbing her crutches and heading into the living room. I make sure her leg is elevated properly before handing her the remote to the TV and pointing at her.
"You and the floor behave. I'll be back in an hour." I say and she nods.
-
Tobin
-
I sigh as I lay on the turf, relaxing after a long practice, but look over when I hear someone walk up and look up to see Alex walking over. It has been a few weeks since Y/N disappeared, she keeps in touch with Hope, Abby, and Carli, who all relay things to us about her, so we at least know she's alive.
"Ew, the Pride is here." I joke, laughing as Alex helps me up off the ground and smiles at me.
"Ew, the Thorns exist." She jokes right back and I smile, nudging my friend. "How are you?" She asks and I sigh.
"Tired." I say and she looks at me. "I'm fine, just ready to go home, shower and take a quick nap." I say and Alex nods as Ash, Ali, and Syd walk over, Syd finally decided to follow Dom to Orlando.
"Well, do so." Ash says and I roll my eyes at her, shoving her playfully.
"I will. And I'll kick your ass tomorrow night." I say and they nod as I head into the locker room to change out of my training kit and into my street clothes so I could go home and wash up.
-
Hope
-
Y/N groans as we sit on the couch watching the Pride/Thorns game and I chuckle, looking over at her.
"What?" I ask her and she points at the screen as the camera focuses on Tobin while she's making a run.
"She's so stupid tonight. She's going to get her ass put out for the rest of the season with some ridiculous ass injury." Y/N says and I chuckle, looking at the screen and watching as Ashlyn tackles the ball and Tobin falls over her. "She's not playing like herself tonight." Y/N continues, shaking her head and I nod.
"Well, your appointment with Mayo is tomorrow at two, and we'll see how much longer you'll be here, if you need surgery, I'll keep you here until you feel good enough to travel, and then send you on your merry way, but if you don't, I'll send you on your merry way anyway." I say and Y/N shrugs.
"Dammit, Tobin, stop that." She mumbles and I chuckle.
"Good talk." I say before getting up and heading off to bed. Jerramy decided that it'd be a good idea for him to crash with a teammate until Y/N is gone, because they were just awkward around each other, and Jerramy didn't want to make Y/N uncomfortable while she's trying to heal and figure out what her next step is in the way of recovery, even though Y/N insisted she'd get to know him, he still insisted he'd give Y/N and I a few weeks to spend together, seeing as it's been a while since we last saw each other in person for more than ten minutes.