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Its been two years. Ashlyn hadn't had a proper conversation with the girl who she loves in two years. The last time they had a proper conversation was at the end of Rio when Ashlyn had to console the defender after their historic loss to Sweden. Sure they talked a little at camps, and exchanged hugs after games but other than that nothing. Ashlyn tried so hard to get over the girl, she was married for gods sake! and she is or was her best friend Ashlyn doesn't know where she stands after not receiving an invite to the brunettes wedding, or not being told that Ali was pregnant (she only found out when she asked at camp and received funny looks from her team mates who told her, thinking she already knew) she didn't even know the little girls name.
Ashlyn looked at the email she received from Jill telling her that she was called up, but Ashlyn already knew that. Ever since the incident with Hope after the game against Sweden, after her suspension was over she officially retired and was given one last game, Ashlyn and Alyssa rotated as the starting keeper both of them were good enough.
Ali hadn't been at camp since the end of 2016, just after she fell pregnant with her daughter. She did come back a year later and has been working her butt off to get back on the national team in time for the World Cup and olympics if she could. Even though they didn't talk Ashlyn checked up on the defender every once in a while to see how she was playing, and silently hoping she would be getting a call up soon.
Ashlyn was standing in the lobby of the hotel the team were at waiting on Whitney who was taking her time outside on the phone to her boyfriend
"c'mon Whit" Ashlyn mumbles looking at her watch and sits in one of the chairs but jumps up, looking at what was on the chair she saw a stuffed bear sitting on the chair. Ashlyn picks it up and sits down on the chair examining the bear. After studying the bear Ashlyn lifts her head to see if Whit was coming or if she could see if anyone was looking for the stuffed animal. Ashlyn is about to take the bear up to reception when she sees a small child looking under the chair across the room. Ashlyn stands and walks over to the girl and kneels down
"excuse me, are you looking for this?" Ashlyn asks in a soft voice holding out the bear and watched as the little girls face light up in a smile, and noticing the crinkle at the top of her nose it cant be Ashlyn thinks shaking her head. Ashlyn hands the little girl the bear and the girl opens her mouth obviously about to say something when a women interrupts the conversation
"there you are Michelle!, what have I told you about running away from me?" Ashlyn recognises the voice and her mouth drops open in shock. Of course its her, of course Ashlyn happens to find a teddy that belonged to her daughter, of-fucking-course.
A small hand tugging on Ashlyn's t-shirt pulls her out of her thoughts and she looks over at the small girl with a smile "lady?" the girl asks
"Michelle thats Ashlyn she is an old fried of mommy's" Ali informs her daughter kneeling down across from Ashlyn, the keeper finally looks at the brunette and notices that she still looks amazing and Ashlyn realises that Ali is still the one who holds her heart. "Can you say that for me baby?" Ali asks her daughter and Ashlyn tears her eyes away from her to focus on the little girl in front of her
"Ashy?" she asks looking at Ashlyn who smiles and laughs
"its close enough, now whats your name kiddo?"
"Michelle!" the girl smiles wide and Ali cant help but giggle at her daughter
"ok Michelle, what do you say to Ashlyn?" Michelle looks at her mother then back a Ashlyn and throws herself into the keepers arms with a force that almost knocks her off of her feet
"thank you Ashy" the girl whispers and pulls away looking at her mother who is smiling widely at her
"ok sweetie lets get up to our room" Ali stands taking her daughters hand "see you around Ashlyn" and with that Ashlyn is left crouching on the ground watching the family of two walk away.
Ashlyn is sitting having her dinner when a small hand pulling on her trouser leg gains her attention.
"Ashy?" Michelle asks
"yeah kiddo?"
"we sit here?" Michelle points to the two empty seats near Ashlyn, and its just then Ashlyn notices Ali standing beside her daughter looking anywhere but Ashlyn
"sure" Ashlyn agrees helping the young girl into her seat and takes Michelle's plate off of Ali who looks at her smiling as a sign of thanks and Ashlyn realises she's in deep now.
Its later on that night and Michelle is playing with her Aunt KO and Aunt Toby while Ashlyn and Ali are sitting next to each other watching the young girl
"why'd you name her Michelle?" Ashlyn asks looking over at Ali, this question had been bothering her all of camp
"you know why Ashlyn, I can see it in your eyes you just want me to say" Ashlyn raises her eyebrow at Ali's accusation
"I have no idea what you mean" Ali rolls her eyes and mumbles something under her breath "what was that Princess, couldn't hear you"
" I said I named her after you, happy?" Ashlyn smile could light up a room, and Ali cant help but smile either at the sight of the blonde keeper in front of her.
Ali's phone rings and Ashlyn can see James' name on the screen and watches as Ali's mood visibly changes "sorry, have to take this" Ashlyn watches as the defender stands and walks out of the room.
Its been about 10 minutes and Ali still hasn't came back in, Ashlyn asks her friends to keep and eye on Ali's daughter and leaves the room in search of Ali. The keeper finds her at the end of the hall pacing while she talks on the phone
"for Gods sake James, just sign the papers you were the one that wanted a divorce!" Ashlyn stops walking and stares at Ali in shock as she finishes the conversation with her soon to be ex-husband.
"Alex?" Ashlyn asks unsure as to how to ask if what she heard was true
"you heard huh?" Ashlyn nods and takes a few steps closer to the defender who is holding back tears "it wasn't meant to be" Ali doesn't know if she is telling Ashlyn this or herself. Ali looks over at the keeper who is looking right back at her
"why?" Ali closes her eyes mentally preparing herself for what she was about to say
"because on my wedding day, I realised that the person I wanted to be marrying was you Ashlyn. Its always been you."
Whitney watches her best friend bark out orders at her defence while defending a set piece in training. It was Jill's idea to let the newer defenders try working with Ashlyn and Alyssa more so they were more comfortable when they played in a game. Whitney's attention then turned to Ali who was the only 'veteran' on the defence as she pointed to an unmarked player in the box. It was Mal who served the ball in and Ashlyn claimed the ball as hers as she jumped but Ali was already in the air ready to clear it.
The two landed on the turf with a loud thump, everyones attention turning to the scene in the box. Ali was the first to stand up holding her head which was split open and bleeding as it had collided with Ashlyn's fist, while Ashlyn wasn't moving. The coaching staff went straight to Ashlyn while Julie and Emily took Ali over to the sidelines to get her head sorted.
They were asking Ali questions trying to get her to talk to them but Ali's attention was elsewhere "is Ash ok?" she asks trying to see what was going on in the box but the group of players and trainers surrounding the keeper blocked her vision.
"she will be Al, are you ok though you are bleeding?" Emily asks putting pressure on the right backs head, making her flinch in pain "sorry" Ali shakes off Emily's apology and watches closely as Ashlyn is helped to her feet, the keepers head covered in blood
"oh my god" Ali lets out watching the trainers take Ashlyn off of the field and turns her attention back to the goal where the incident happened and sees the post covered in blood, Ashlyn's blood.
Ali knocks on Ashlyn's hotel room door, her daughters hand secured in her own. Its Alex, Ashlyn's roommate who opens the door "hey guys" she greets, motioning for the family to come in "Ashlyn you have a very cute visitor"
"hi Ashy" Michelle jumps on Ashlyn's bed and hugs the blonde who has a bandage on her head covering her stitches, much like Ali who has a bandage of her own "you matchin' mommy" the girl says pointing to her mother who is standing at the edge of Ashlyn's bed next to Alex
"we sure are kiddo" Ashlyn smiles at the little girl who is looking closely at her tattoos
"hey squirt, why don't I take you to Toby and Pressy's room?" Alex asks and the little girl jumps from the bed and runs to the door ready to go see her aunts "I'll take that as a yes?" the three women chuckle as Alex walks over to the door and take the young girls hand winking at Ali as she leaves. Ali sits down at the edge of the bed playing with her wedding ring, she really should take it off. The two of them sit in silence for a while, both of them lost in their own heads. Its Ali who hates the silence this time, she wants to talk to Ashlyn wants to ask her if she has thought at all about Ali's confession.
When Ali confessed her love for Ashlyn the keeper was in shock, she was speechless. Ali had just told her she loved her, after all these years of Ashlyn loving Ali with nothing in return the brunette finally returned the feelings. Ashlyn should be jumping for joy, kissing the girl in front of her but instead she asks for space. she doesn't know why she done it, it might have been as a way of revenge showing Ali what she felt like when Ashlyn confessed her love. Ashlyn doesn't know why she done it, but it kind of helped. The confession was 3 days ago, and in that space Ashlyn has spent day and night thinking about her feelings for not only Ali but her daughter, and she has come to the conclusion
"I want to get to know Michelle" Ashlyn starts "I want to make sure that she likes me, and that she trusts me because if we do anything she will see me more, I want her to be used to me being around" Ali nods she cant find any words, she is touched by the keeper wanting to spend more time with her daughter.
"we have a day off soon, if she is up to it you can take her out, have fun with her" Ashlyn smiles and starts to come up with plans, she has to make this day amazing.
Ali waves to her daughter leaving the hotel room on the blonde keepers back, she trusts that Ashlyn will take good care of her little girl. Ali sighed not knowing what to do since she had a free day and decides to go shopping. The defender catches Tobin and Christen in the lobby looking for things to do
"hey lovebirds" Ali calls walking over to the two younger players "do you want to go shopping?" Tobin was quick to protest but a pleading look from her girlfriend made her cave in eventually, it was either that or the 'no sex for a week' warning she was given. Ali rolled her eyes at the twos antics and left the hotel with the lovebirds following close behind.
Ali laughed as Tobin, Whitney and Emily argued over which direction they were going next. They had met the two defenders while walking down the road their hotel was on and they had decided to tag along. Ali huffed and sat on the ground next to Christen who was on her phone looking at Google Maps
"your girlfriend go us lost" Ali mumbles wiping the sweat off of her forehead, it was a warm day and sitting out in the sunlight wasn't helping them. Tobin had decided that she knew the area better than the street signs and took the 4 down the back roads of the city, claiming it was 'faster' and 'less populated'. Now they had no idea where they are.
"we could just go back the way we came" Ali announces to the group, pointing in the direction of the street they just walked up
"we could go to the beach" Christen adds, looking at her girlfriend who had covered both Emily and Whitney's mouth with her hands looking at women sitting in front of her "maybe go surfing." The four players laugh as the midfielder began walking down the road they came from
"come one everyone!" Tobin calls "we have some surfing to do!"
The five football players get to the beach and pick a spot near the back to sit. Tobin and Emily take off straight away, going to get themselves surfboards, while the other three sit under the shade of a tree studying the area. Christen watches her girlfriend and friend as they study surf boards and a tall blonde with a black snapback catches her eye
"isn't that Ash?" she asks pointing to the blonde who was holding a small kid-sized surfboard in the water, with a little girl sitting on it splashing the woman and giggling
"it is" Whitney looks at Ali who is smiling at the sight before them "you know, you could make it less obvious" Whitney laughs as Ali punches her shoulder lightly and looks away trying to hide her blush
"Michelle looks happy"
"so does Ashlyn" Ali stands and motions for the other two to follow her "come-on, lets go to another part of the beach. Leave Ash to have her day with Michelle" Christen nods and walks over to her girlfriend motioning for her and Emily to go to the other end of the beach and looks back at the defenders nodding, and they start walking. Ali looks one last time at her daughter-who appears to be having the time of her life- and follows her friends.
That night Ali sits in her hotel room, after the beach they had went for something to eat and eventually found their way back to the hotel and Ali decided to call it a night. Ali was exhausted, she was going to be getting her stitches removed tomorrow and finally get back to full training but she needed her rest. There was a knock at her door and Ali quickly stood knowing that it must be Ashlyn and her daughter. The defender opened the door and saw her daughter and Ashlyn standing there both with big smiles, and she noticed her daughter holding the kid-sized surfboard Ashlyn was holding earlier
"And where did you get this?" Ali asks her daughter pulling her in for a hug while examining the board while Ashlyn stood in the doorway, hands stuffed in her pockets
"Ashy got it mommy!" Michelle exclaims pointing to Ashlyn who had a slight blush on her cheeks "she says she gon' take me 'gain mommy!" Ali smiles at her daughters excitement still in shock that Ashlyn bought her daughter a surfboard, her two year old daughter for crying out loud. Ali would be mad and the keeper but seeing the delight on her daughters face was worth it.
"Did you like going out with Ashy baby? would you like to see her again" this was it, the question that would decide the twos fate. Michelle looks at her mother and then at Ashlyn and smiles
"course mommy" thats all they needed to hear.