#I know there's the implication that kreese wound her up on purpose to go raise hell but we only get ONE scene of that. I need more.

[queencvbra]

The home invasion in s3 is baffling to me honestly bc all season Tory is SO careful about her probation, she goes as far as to warn Robby about potentially breaking his, and it's implied she basically scouted the zoo out beforehand to make sure they wouldn't get in trouble for that. One of the reasons she left Cobra Kai was because she wanted to stay out of trouble. And surprisingly Tory is actually one of the cobras that gets into the least amount of fights if you look back??? Like yeah she started the school fight, but that was supposed to stay between her and Sam (and it didn't), but outside of that she doesn't participate in raiding Miyagi-do, she isn't there for the mall fight, and she only joins in the arcade fight because she was given the impression that her teammates were being ambushed by their enemies.

So she goes from actively avoiding fights (for the most part) and being careful about her probation to escalating to a full on home invasion in just one episode??? And it just feels so??? It's SUCH a jump besties. And damn they even double down on her caution in that scene in s5 where she won't let Robby break into the dojo, so you can't tell me she doesn't care about it when she was careful about even the tiniest thing like using her access card.

[curiousdamage]

A Bit of Wonderful.

Day 23 of the writing challenge.  For @dream-beyond-the-fantasy who wanted to see more about Cara Kreese’s family and how she found out she was pregnant.

Karate Kid Fandom- A Careless Man’s Careful Daughter.

I own nothing.

Cara’s big brother visits her camp in Viet Nam.  (Michael’s face grab is Tim Ryan who played Colleen’s love interest, Natch but for purposes of this story, he’s Michael Sullivan.)

Cara sat on the beach staring out at the waves. Her mind moving too fast to come to any conclusion. She was still no closer to deciding what to do. She heard the helicopter overhead and turn to look up at it. Listening for the call of ‘wounded’. When it didn't sound, she looked back at the waves. Lost in thought, she didn't notice someone sitting down next to her until he spoke.

“Penny for your thoughts?"

“Jesus, Michael!" She jumped, then punched her brother in the arm. "You scared the daylights out of me."

“Sorry," he laughed. “To be fair, though, I did call your name from back there." He pointed back to the path to the beach. "KC told me you were down here. What’s up? You look a million miles away.”

“That was you?" she pointed up to the sky. He was a helicopter pilot. "You didn’t bring me any customers today?"

"Nope brought you some supplies. Quit changing the subject,” he replied. Why are you sitting out here looking like you're trying to figure out the meaning of life? Or at least how two of Colonel Kelly Sullivan’s children

ended up in this hellhole. Has Army never heard of nepotism before? We should be sitting on some Stateside base with cushy office jobs being pains in the asses of those who actually worked to get there."

“I volunteered and you would hate being grounded," she replied, laying her head on his shoulder.

“Probably true," he nodded. “Come on. Tell me what's got you so morose?"

"Good word," she replied.

"Yeah, Mom got me a word of the day calendar. She hopes it will make me sound smarter. You know she's still pushing for all five of us to be officers. Did it work?"

"Until you kept speaking," she laughed, despite how awful she felt, "Oh, Mikey, Mom’s going to kill me."

“What have you done to incur Mom’s wrath?" he asked.

"I'm pregnant," she finally spilled.

Michael was silent for a long moment, then, "Damn, Sis. Are you sure?”

“I've got all the signs," she replied. "Fatigue, morning sickness, all the girlie things you'll say 'EW' about, irritability…,”

"Well, if you're going by irritability, you've been pregnant since you were twelve," he teased.

She shoved him sideways with a small laugh. "I'm serious."

"Look, all jokes aside," he put his arm around her. “Couldn't all that stuff be caused by stress, because I hate to break it to you, Sis, but you're living in an inferno, doing probably the most stressful job a woman can have right now on less sleep a week than most people get a night."

"Are you saying I'm stressed out?" she rolled her eyes.

“That’s what I'm saying."

She laughed again. "It’s more than that, Mikey. " She paused, then decided they were both adults and she could confide in him. "It hasn't been that time of the month for over two months now.”

"Sis!" He looked at her with alarm. "And you're just saying something now?!" 

"I'm just accepting it myself now," she replied.

“Have you told John?"

She shook her head.

"Should you tell John?" he asked, cautiously.

"Yes!" She cried indignantly when she realized his implication. "I just wanted to make sure there was something to tell first.”

"Just wanted to make sure I'm punching out the right guy," he teased, "So, are you still not sure?”

“Not medically. No," she replied.

“What are you waiting on?” He asked.

“I can’t just go ask for a pregnancy test,” she said.  “It’ll go in my medical file.  Besides…,”

“What?”

“I’m scared, Mikey,” she admitted.  “You know what will happen if I am.”

He nodded somberly.  “A one-way ticket Stateside.”

“And probably a discharge,” she said.  “I can’t…, this is all I know.  This is awful.”

“Awful?” He raised an eyebrow.  “Cara Marie, this, this is the total opposite of awful. This is wonderful!  This is…, beautiful.  Hell, I might even like this kid!”  He patted her stomach, then got to his feet.  “Give me an hour okay?  Then I’ll have you a way to find out that won’t go in your file.”

“How are you going to do that?” she scoffed.

“Please.  A magician never reveals his secrets,” he replied, heading back up the beach.

“KC?! You told KC?! That was your big plan, Master Magician?” She sputtered as he led her to the other woman’s quarters.  

“Well, I figured a woman in her profession would have a way, you know?” he shrugged.  “And she owes me a favor for something I might have smuggled out for her.  She won’t tell.  And no, it wasn’t drugs.”

KC smiled at her like the cat who ate the canary when she entered the room.  “Well, Sullivan.  I knew you were screwing that Green Beret, but I figured you’d be smart enough to use protection. I didn’t think I’d have to have the birds and bees talk with you like I do the Donut Dollies.”

Cara glared at Michael before turning back to KC.  “For your information, I was using protection. It doesn’t always work.  Something you should keep in mind.”

“Maybe so.” She sauntered over to her foot locker and pulled out a pregnancy test surprisingly like the ones they kept at the hospital for the local women needing care.

“Where did you get this?” Cara asked, taking the box.  

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answer too,” KC replied.  “Now, go get the necessary ingredient.  I’ll get it set up.”

“Wait, here?” Cara asked.  She’d hoped to do it in private.

“Unless you want to go over to the clinic, where else?” KC answered.   “Um…, my tent.  By myself.” “Too late.  I’m involved now,” KC replied, examining her nails. “I can help with whatever.”

“I’m a nurse.  I know how it works,” she replied but seeing she wasn’t going to win, took the specimen cup and stomped out, returning a few minutes later.

True to her word, KC had all the chemicals in the kit ready to go.  Cara added her part.

She put her hands over her face, muttering, “Please don’t change. Please don’t change.”

“Sorry, Toots,” KC said, examining the petri dish.  “You’ve got a little Cobra on board.”

“Alright!” Michael smiled, more for Cara’s benefit than his own. “I’m going to be Uncle Mikey!”

“We already have three nieces and two nephews,” she rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, but like I said, I’m actually going to like this one,” he smirked.

“Look, Sis.  I know it’s a lot and it wasn’t what you wanted, or planned, but think of this.  You managed to create something beautiful and wonderful in this hell we live in.  That must mean something, right?  I’m mean, this kid…, this kid is a miracle.”  He pulled her into a hug.  “You’ll get through this, okay?”

She nodded.  “I hope you’re right, Mikey.”

Two weeks later, Mikey was waiting for her as she prepared to leave. Maybe it wasn’t so bad.  She was being sent Stateside, but she hadn’t been made to resign her commission, being sent to a VA rehab instead.  Maybe having high ranking officers as parents was useful after all.

John still wasn’t back in base.  It had been over a month since the Cobra Kai unit had left out on a mission.  One he couldn’t tell her about and one he had no idea when or if he’d return from.  She couldn’t even tell him in person.

“I guess this it,” she said, standing near the plane that would take her home.

“Take care, Sis,” he said, hugging her.  Then he knelt so that he was near her stomach.  “Okay, Kid.  Listen up.  This is Uncle Mikey.  And when I get home, we’re going to be great friends.  But until then I’ll make you a little deal.  You take care of your mommy and I’ll take care of your Daddy. I’ll make sure he comes home safe and sound.  You make sure she doesn’t miss him too much, okay?  Is it a deal?  It’s a deal.” He rubbed her still flat stomach again, before standing back up.  “Give Mom and Dad a hug and kiss from me, okay?”

She nodded and wiped her eyes.  “Take care of yourself too.”

“Always,” he replied.

“Mikey? I know you’ll see John again. Give him this for me?” She pulled a plain white envelope out of her bag.  

“Of course,” he agreed.  “But I may not run into him for a while.  I’m not always in camp when he is.”

“I left a copy with KC too,” she confided.  “But I would rather you be the one to make sure he gets it.”

“Will do,” he nodded, solemnly, stashing the envelope in his uniform pocket.   He hugged her again.  “Bye, Sis.  Send me lots of pictures.”

“Will do,” she repeated, hugging him.  “I love you, Michael.”

“Love you, too, Cara.”

She boarded the plane, taking her window seat, and waved until she couldn’t see the ground, much less Michael anymore.