#scribblesofagoonerr

[scribblesofagoonerr]

𝑀𝑜𝓃𝓀𝑒𝓎 Our Girl: Growing Up | 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐿𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼𝓈 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓀

summary: monkey's dad has the social worker convinced everything is fine when the reality couldn't be further from the truth.

our girl: growing up masterlist

The entire ride to your dad’s house felt like a waking nightmare. The fear gripped your chest so tightly it was hard to breathe, and the closer you got, the more your stomach twisted into painful knots.

Every mile felt like you were being dragged further into something dark and suffocating, an inevitable doom you couldn’t escape.

Your social worker chatted idly in the front seat, her cheerful tone grating against the terror building inside you. You barely heard her words. All you could focus on was the rising dread of stepping into that house - a house that wasn’t home, and never would be.

“Alright, looks like we’re here,” Your social worker announced the words you had been dreading since you climbed in the car, “Ready to say hi to your dad?” She chirped, turning to you with a forced smile.

You shrank into your seat, desperately wishing you could disappear. The pit in your stomach grew heavier with every second, your hands clutching at the fabric of your jeans as if grounding yourself would keep you safe.

The memories came flooding back, vivid and sharp – The stench of alcohol on his breath, the cloud of cigarette smoke that clung to everything, the bruises he’d left on your arms when his temper flared. You remembered it all, every terrifying moment that made you flinch at loud voices and slammed doors.

And yet, somehow, he’d convinced everyone that he’d changed. That he was better.

You weren’t fooled – not entirely – but what could you do? You were just nine years old. To the adults around you, your voice didn’t carry the weight it should have. They saw your fear as uncertainty, your hesitation as resistance to change. 

No one wanted to listen to a kid. Nobody wanted to listen to you. 

Your heart pounded harder as the car came to a stop in front of the house. You stared at it, willing it to disappear, but it stood there, looming, mocking your fear.

Every part of you screamed not to get out, to stay hidden, to make the nightmare stop. But you knew you couldn’t.

Your social worker turned to you, her smile still there, but it wasn’t comforting. It felt forced, like she was trying to convince both you and herself that this was fine.

“Come on now,” She said gently, her voice warm but insistent, “It’s okay, It’s going to be fine. I’ll be right there with you,” She waited for you to move, but you just sat there, frozen, staring ahead.

Your body was tense, every muscle locked up in protest, “I… I don’t want to,” You whispered, so quietly you almost couldn’t hear yourself. Your throat felt tight, your words barely able to escape.

Your social worker’s expression softened, and she sighed, her patience unwavering, “I know, I know you might feel scared, sweetheart, but everything is going to be fine.” She told you in a gentle tone of voice, more patient than she was earlier when pushing you to say goodbye to Leah, just like she was coaxing a frightened animal out of hiding, “It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.”

Your hands were clammy, your palms sweating against the cold seatbelt. The world outside the car felt distant, unreal like you couldn’t quite make it through the fog of your own terror.

With a shaky breath, you slowly unbuckled your seatbelt, feeling your stomach twist in tighter knots. You hesitated before pushing the door open, the chill of the outside air only adding to the dread. 

Your social worker’s reassuring hand rested on your shoulder as she stood beside you, “You’re doing great,” She said, guiding you to the front door.

Each step felt heavier than the last, as if the earth itself was trying to drag you back. You could feel your heart pounding in your ears as you approached the door, the sound of the knock feeling deafening.

It was as if every second stretched out into eternity.

The door opened with a creak, and there he was. Your dad.

He looked different, but not by much. His scruff had greyed, and his eyes carried the weight of exhaustion, but the unsettling smile that tugged at his lips was the same – a smile that tried too hard to be convincing, like he was fooling everyone, even himself, into believing everything was fine. It made your skin crawl.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my kiddo,” Your dad, Mark, greeted you, his smile cold and forced as you stood frozen, clutching your bag, “You’ve certainly grown since I last saw you, haven’t you?”

His voice was too bright, too fake. It was like he was desperately trying to make everything feel normal, like this moment wasn’t suffocating you. But you saw through it. You always had.

“What, no hug for your old man?” Your dad joked, crouching down to your level and spreading his arms wide, expecting you to step into them.

“Hello again, Mark,” Your social worker stepped forward, her tone professional, yet polite, “I’m here to ensure everything goes smoothly with this transition,” She said, her eyes scanning your dad for any sign of something she might need to address, “How have things been, uh, since we last spoke?”

Your dad chuckled, the sound grating on your nerves, “Things have been good, real good,” He said, his hand resting on the doorframe as if were trying to look casual. But you could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his eyes flickered nervously toward you.

“You’ve made progress, right?” Your social worker’s voice held a touch of caution, and you could feel her eyes watching him, weighing his every word.

Your dad nodded quickly, too quickly, “Of course. Everything’s under control. She’ll be safe here. I’ve changed,” The way he said it, the words falling from his lips like they were rehearsed, made your stomach churn.

You didn’t believe him, not for a second.

But your social worker seemed to buy it. She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes, and gave a nod, “Good, we’ll be checking in regularly to make sure everything stays on track for you both.”

You stood there, your body trembling, wishing you could disappear, wishing you could escape, but all you could do was stare at the door and wonder how long it would take for the fear to come rushing back, like it always did.

“I see you are still into football, huh? I bet you’re the player of the match every game,” Mark tried to make conversation, his attempt at interest ringing hollow.

You turned toward the social worker, fear flickering in your eyes, “I… I don’t want to be here. I want to go back to Leah’s. Why can’t I stay with her?”

“This is your new home now, kiddo,” Mark cut in quickly, crouching to your level. His voice was gruff, trying to sound kind, “We’re gonna make it nice. Just you and me, yeah?”

“I… I don’t want to be here,” Your voice wavered as you shook your head, “Why can’t I go back?”

“It’s lovely here, Monkey–” The social worker began with a cheerful tone of voice.

“Don’t call me that!” You snapped your head toward her, her voice trembling with anger, “Only Le and Jordy get to call me that!”

The social worker’s smile faltered, her face flushing slightly, “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Mark sighed heavily, placing a hand on your shoulder, “Come on now, there’s no need for that,” He said, his grip firm, “Hey, how about this? I’ll put up some goalposts in the garden. We can kick the ball around. Sound good?”

“No, thanks,” You muttered, pulling away from his hand.

“That’s alright. There’s plenty of time for us to figure things out, right?” Mark said with forced cheer, glancing at the social worker.

“Right,” Your social worker agreed, smiling faintly, “Well, I’ll leave you to get settled in. I’ll come by in a couple of days to check in and make sure everything is okay.”

“I… I don’t want to be here,” Your chest tightened as panic set in, “Please… Please don’t leave me here,” You begged, your voice cracking.

Your social worker knelt down beside you, “This is your new home now, sweetheart. You’ll be happy here with your dad.”

“Yeah,” Mark chimed in, straightening up, “It’s just me and you now, kiddo. We’ll be alright, won’t we?”

Tears prickled your eyes as you shook your head, “No, I… I don’t want to be here. I want Le,” You whispered, clutching your bag tighter as the reality of your new life began to sink in.

But you didn’t want to be here. You wanted to be with Leah and Jordan, where you felt safe, where things still made sense.

“Take a seat kid. The match is kicking off soon,” Your dad’s gruff voice cut through the silence, “I’ve got a good feeling about this game, you know? Those so-called Gunners are about to get a reality check.”

Your stomach dropped. Football games meant pain. The outcome of each match determined the mood of the night, and you knew your dad’s moods could turn in a dime. The thought of sitting through another night like this terrified you.

You didn’t want the social worker to leave, but soon enough, it was just the two of you in a house that felt cold and empty. Your dad didn’t waste time in turning his attention back to the TV, flipping through channels until he landed on the match he’d been waiting for.

You lingered in the doorway, the silence of the house pressing down on you, suffocating you. The hum of the television filled the space, but the victorious cheers from the screen only made you feel more alone.

The game between Arsenal and Chelsea – Your dad’s team – and it didn’t take long for it to become painfully clear that Chelsea was dominating. Arsenal was losing badly. Your dad, a lifelong Chelsea fan, was practically glowing with joy as the goals piled up.

When Chelsea scored yet another goal, making it 6 - 0, your dad threw his hands up in the air, grinning from ear to ear and shouting in triumph, his mood shifting into something unusually bright and triumphant as if it were the only thing that mattered in the world.

“That’s how it’s done, eh?” Your dad grinned, not even looking over at you, “6 nil, that’s how you crush them. Gotta love it.”

You flinched at the sound of his voice, the sudden loudness making your heart race. He was too happy, too loud. It felt like the rest of the world had fallen away as he celebrated his team’s victory, oblivious to the fact that you were standing right there, desperately wishing to disappear.

Your dad glanced over at you, a wide smile on his face, “You used to watch the game with me, remember? Not gonna get upset about this, are you? It’s a big win for Chelsea.”

His words hit you like a weight, heavy and suffocating. You didn’t know how to respond. His cheerfulness felt fake, like he was trying to force normalcy in a moment that was anything but. 

You wanted to ask if you could leave, go back to Leah’s, to somewhere that didn’t feel so wrong or so… heavy.

But you stayed silent.

Your stomach twisted as you watched him bask in his victory, the scoreline a stark reminder of how powerless you felt in that moment, how trapped you were.

“Come on kiddo, sit down. I’m not gonna bite,” He said, motioning to the sofa, but you stayed frozen in pace, “Come on. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” His voice was warm, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

You stood there for a moment longer, the sound of the game in the background like a cruel mockery of everything you wanted. You didn’t want to be here, not with him, not with the victory that felt more like defeat to you.

But what could you do? What could you say?

With a deep, shaky breath, you turned away from the doorway and shuffled toward the sofa, but everything about it felt wrong. Just like the house, just like the victory.

You didn’t belong here, and no matter how hard he tried to make you feel like you did, you knew the truth.

As the night fell, the house seemed even colder. The shadows in the corners of the room stretched long and lonely, creeping along the walls. You sat there, staring at the walls, at the empty space around you, feeling every inch of the house pressing in, suffocating you.

The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional muffled sound from the TV in the living room, where your dad continued to watch the game highlights.

This wasn’t your room, this wasn’t your home. You didn’t want to be here, it felt wrong, like you were living in someone else’s nightmare, trapped in a place that wasn’t yours.

The walls, the furniture, the way everything felt too still – This wasn’t your home. Home was with Leah and Jordan, where you felt safe, where the air didn’t feel thick with the weight of expectations and disappointment.

You pulled the blanket tighter around you, but it didn’t help. Nothing helped. The cold seemed to seep into your bones, making everything feel even emptier. You needed something – someone – but no one was there.

And then, it hit you.

You didn’t have your stuffed monkey.

The realisation made your chest tighten. You hadn’t even thought about it until now, but the weight of not having him there with you was like a knife in your heart. Your stuffed monkey was your comfort, your safety, the thing that always made things feel just a little bit better, no matter how bad things got.

But he wasn’t here, and it felt like you were missing a piece of yourself.

The tears came before you could stop them. They started slow, and then built, faster and faster, until your face was wet with them. Your body trembled with silent sobs. 

You didn’t want to cry. You didn’t want to be weak, after all, you had promised Leah that you could be brave, but in this cold, empty house, with nothing but the distant sounds of a victory that didn’t matter to you, you felt more alone than you ever had before.

You curled up tighter under the blanket, hoping somehow the warmth of it would stop the tears. You pulled your knees up to your chest, wrapping your arms around them, but it didn’t stop the pain.

The ache in your chest. The fear.

And as the tears kept falling, you realised there was no escaping this – no running back to Leah and Jordan.

You were alone.

The next morning, it was like your dad was trying to show you he could be different, to convince both himself and you that things were fine. He seemed determined to act like everything was normal, maybe even better than normal.

“Hey, kiddo,” He said as you walked into the kitchen, “I was thinking, you’ve got that football thing coming up, don’t you? A match or something?”

You blinked, surprised, “Uh… Yeah, next weekend.”

Your dad nodded, his smile awkward but genuine enough to catch you off guard, “I’ll come. Watch you play. Haven’t done that in a while, right? I reckon it’d be nice for both of us.”

You didn’t know how to feel. On one hand, you wanted to believe him. But on the other, you knew how easily promises could feel apart. Still, the thought of him showing up gave you a glimmer of hope, “Okay,” You said softly.

“That’s the spirit,” He grinned, ruffling your hair, “Hey, I meant what I said to the social worker. You’ll still see Leah and… Jordan, is it, yeah? I’m not trying to keep them away from you.”

That part, at least, made you feel a bit better, “You promise?”

“Promise,” Your dad said, holding up his hand like he was swearing an oath, “I’ll even drive you over there myself if I have to.”

The day passed in a strange sort of normalcy, with your dad asking about football and school. It felt forced, but you didn’t want to question it. You clung to the hope that maybe, just maybe, things could get better.

By the evening rolled around, you were jittery with anticipation. Leah had promised to call, and the thought of hearing her voice was the only thing keeping you from completely shutting down. The house still felt cold and unfamiliar, but knowing Leah could be on the other end of the line made it bearable.

When the phone rang mid-afternoon, you darted to the living room, “Is that her?” You asked, her voice trembling with excitement.

Your dad raised an eyebrow at your eagerness, but he handed over the phone without comment, “Yeah, it’s her,” He said, stepping back.

“Le?” You said, clutching the phone tightly. As soon as you heard her familiar voice, the knot in your chest loosened, “Le!”

“There’s my girl,” Leah’s voice warm and bright, like a hug over the phone, “It’s so good to hear your voice! How’re you doing? Are you settling in okay?”

You sat down on the sofa, a small smile creeping onto your face, “It’s… Okay,” You said, hesitating, “I miss you, and I miss Jordy!”

“I miss you too, Monkey. We both miss you so much,” Leah replied softly, sounding like she was trying to hold her tears back but you could hear the quiver in her voice, “I’ll see you soon, yeah? And you can call me anytime. I’m always going to be here for you. We both are.”

The conversation went on for a while, with Leah asking about your day and telling you about hers. It was the most you’d smiled since you moved in, and for a moment, you forgot about how empty the house felt.

When the call ended, you handed the phone back to your dad, your heart feeling lighter than it had been earlier that day, “Thank you for letting me talk to her,” You said.

Your dad gave you a tight smile, “Yeah, no problem, kiddo. Glad you’re happy,” But there was something in his tone, a tension you couldn’t quite place.

Over the next couple of days, your dad seemed to watch you more closely, especially whenever you brought Leah or Jordan up in conversation. You didn’t think much of it, too focused on the small bursts of joy her calls brought.

A few evenings later, Leah called again. You were in the kitchen when the phone rang, and you hurried into the living room, eager to answer. But your dad beat you to it, lifting the phone before you could reach it.

“Hello?” Your dad answered, his tone casual. 

You hovered nearby, waiting for him to pass it to you.

“Oh, yeah��� No, she’s already in bed,” He said after a pause. His words stopped you in your tracks. You weren’t in bed. It wasn’t even your bedtime yet.

A chill ran down your spine. Why didn’t he let you speak to her?

Leah’s voice was faint, but you could hear the confusion in her tone, “Already? Isn’t it a bit early for her?”

“Yeah, well, it’s been a long day,” Your dad said smoothly, his tone light but firm, “I’ll let her know you called.”

Your stomach sank, a deep unsettling feeling settling in your chest, “Dad,” You whispered his name, your voice trembling, “Dad… Is that Leah?”

Before Leah could say anything more, your dad quickly hung up the phone. He turned to face you, still smiling, but there was something behind his eyes that your skin crawl, “Nah, just someone from work,” He said, brushing it off, “It’s getting late, go get ready for the bed.”

You stood there for a moment, staring at the phone, confused and hurt, “But… I thought she was gonna call.”

“She probably forgot, kiddo,” Your dad said, waving a hand dismissively, “Now, go on. Don’t make a fuss.”

You stared at him, unsure of what to believe. Your heart felt heavy, and the unease gnawed at you, “Are you sure it wasn’t her?”

Your dad sharpened his gaze, and his voice became more firm, more final, “I said it wasn’t her. Now drop it.”

The finality in his tone made you flinch and without a word, you turned and walked back to your room, the unanswered question hanging in the air. The disappointment pressed down on you like a weight, and you felt a familiar coldness creep back into your chest.

Your social worker’s next visit came in the middle of the following week, a day like any other but still somehow heavy with anticipation. You tried to keep yourself small and hidden, out of the way, as your dad greeted the woman at the door, offering a forced smile that made your stomach churn.

The entire time, it felt like a blur, a series of questions and answers that passed by too quickly for you to catch your breath. You didn’t like the way your dad pretended to be someone he wasn’t, and it didn’t feel right.

There was something off about it, like he was trying too hard.

“Hey, kiddo,” Your dad called from the living room, where he was sitting with the social worker, “Come on in and say hi. They want to know how things are going, right?”

You shuffled into the room, eyes downcast as you felt the uncomfortable weight of the situation. Your social worker smiled warmly at you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to meet her gaze. 

You didn’t feel you belonged here. Not in this house. Not with him.

“So, how have things been going?” She asked, looking between you and him.

“Oh yeah, they’ve been great!” Your dad’s voice was too loud, too eager. He sounded like he was trying to convince both himself and everyone else that everything was fine, “We’re having a fantastic time together, right, kiddo?”

You blinked, feeling the weight of his gaze on you, and you knew what he expected from you. You had no choice but to force a weak smile and nod, the words too thick in your throat to speak, “Yeah…”

 “That’s wonderful to hear!” Your social worker smiled, unaware of the tension in the room, “Mark, you seemed to have really changed.”

You could hear the pride in your voice, and it made your stomach twist. 

Your dad’s smile widened, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He was too eager to play the part, to act like the father he thought he should be, “Having my Monkey here makes me become the better man. A better father to her.”

The words struck you like a slap to the face. You couldn’t hide the discomfort that spread through you.

Monkey.

The nickname Leah and Jordan had given you, the one that meant something real, something safe. And now, he was using it, twisting it into something it was never meant to be.

You wanted to argue, to say something, but you couldn’t. You knew better than to challenge him, especially not in front of the social worker. You stayed quiet, your hands shaking in your lap.

“I’m really pleased to hear that, Mark,” Your social worker said, her voice warm, “And sweetheart? Are you happy here?”

The question should’ve felt like a lifeline, a chance to finally speak up, but it felt like a trap. The house was cold, everything about it felt wrong, but you couldn’t bring yourself to say it.

Instead, you forced out the words, the ones you knew your dad wanted to hear.

“Yeah,” It came out hollow, but you couldn’t help it. You were too scared to say anything else. The fear of what would happen if you told the truth was too strong.

The social worker didn’t seem to notice. She smiled and jotted something down in her notes, “Well, it seems like things are improving. I’m happy to hear that. It’s really good to see you two getting along so well.”

As she stood up to leave, you felt a knot of frustration in your stomach. You had to sit there, nod and smile, even though everything inside of you screamed that this wasn’t right.

Why didn’t you just speak up when you had the chance?

Your dad’s act had worked. Your social worker was completely fooled. You were stuck, unable to say anything that would make it stop.

When the door closed behind your social worker, the silence was deafening. Your dad stood up, his posture stiff, as if he was proud of what he had just pulled off. You could feel his eyes on you, watching for any sign of resistance. You kept your head down, not wanting to look at him, not wanting to give him any reason to lash out.

That same evening when he called you into the living room to talk, you couldn’t escape the tightness in your chest. You had to keep playing along, or it would all fall apart. 

Your dad didn’t seem to notice your hesitation as he sat down, a forced smile still on his face, “See, kiddo? Everything’s fine now. The social worker thinks we’re doing great.”

You nodded, the fake smile still in place, but inside, everything felt wrong. The house felt colder now, the emptiness more suffocating.

And then you said it. The wrong words at the wrong time.

“I miss Leah. I… I wish I could go back,” It was a slip of the tongue, but it was enough for your dad’s anger to return.

His face shifted instantly, his eyes narrowing and the smile slipping off his face, “You want to go back to them, do you?” His voice was scarily low and dangerous, laced with venom, “You want your precious Leah and Jordan? Too bad. You’re stuck with me.”

Before you could even try to explain, he stormed off, his footsteps heavy and fast. You heard the sound of the kitchen cabinet slamming, then the unmistakable clink of glass. Your stomach dropped when he returned with a bottle in hand – whiskey.

You could feel the terror building up inside you. Whiskey meant he was no longer the man he pretended to be. It meant anger. It meant violence. It meant fear.

Your dad wasn’t a nice man when he drank at all, and the bruises were enough to show for that in the past.

“You see this bottle?” He hissed, holding it up like a weapon, “You’re the reason I drink, you little brat. Always whining. Always complaining. Now you’re asking for Leah and Jordan all the time. I can’t take it anymore.”

Your body went cold. The words stung, but you couldn’t fight back. You just sat there, frozen in place, watching as he raged on. The fear kept you silent, kept you from speaking, from fighting.

“You want them? Too bad. You don’t get to have everything your way,” Your dad’s cold voice sneered, and there it was.

That haunting familiar tone of voice that sends a chill down your spine, and left you cowering in the corner of the room.

The anger in his voice was suffocating. You stared at the floor, blinking back tears, but they came anyway. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. You had tried so hard to keep the peace, to make everything okay, and now it was all falling apart.

When he finally left the room, slamming the door behind him, the silence that followed felt more suffocating. Broken and alone. The house felt even colder now, the emptiness more pronounced. You wanted to scream, to run to Leah, to have her hold you and tell you everything would be okay.

But you couldn’t.

Your dad was right, and you were stuck here, stuck with him, and pretending that everything was okay when it clearly wasn’t.

© scribblesofagoonerr

[batllethinker]

Love reading the arsenal submission posts, is it really bad that I would love to see a blurb about the whole clothing debical and how Kim would react to it kinda, I don't know if that makes sense at all, hahah sorry!

I mean, I could definitely write it but it might be a while and very short because I have alot to write

[scribblesofagoonerr]

Ask away, I need a distraction please

Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game

🎱 ⇢ post your AO3 total stats  🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction?  🌵 ⇢ share the link to a playlist you love 🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that? 🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis 🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help? 🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love 💌 ⇢ how many unread emails do you have right now?  🌻 ⇢ tag someone you appreciate but don't talk to on a regular basis 🐇 ⇢ do you prefer writing original characters, reader inserts, or a mix of both?  🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before 🎲 ⇢ what stops you from writing more in your free time?  🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings 🧸 ⇢ what's the fastest way to become your mutual? 🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now 📚 ⇢ what's the last thing you wrote down in your notes app?  🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character 🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project? 🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on ❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best? 🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity 🥐 ⇢ name one internet reference that will always make you laugh  🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work? 🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate 🥝 ⇢ do you lie a lot? what's the most recent lie you told? 🦋 ⇢ share something that has been on your heart and mind lately  🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing?  🍅 ⇢ give yourself some constructive criticism on your own writing 🐚 ⇢ do you like or dislike surprises? 🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here ☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username? 🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them 🌸 ⇢ do you have any pets? if you do, post some pictures of them 🎨 ⇢ link your favourite piece of fanart and explain why you like it 🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

[alotofpockets]

Send this to the twelve nicest people you know or who seem to have a good heart and if you get five back you must be pretty awesome. 🩷🩷

💗💗

[wosoamazing]

Bench Naps

Teen!R x Arsenal

Warnings: general sickness things.

Notes: Here you go @scribblesofagoonerr 1k words

“Oh honey, we aren’t in a good way are we?” Steph said as she slipped into the seat next to you, you immediately curled into her side, the team had been messaged by Katie and Caitlin warning them about your sickness and they weren't wrong with just how sick you were. You had just about every flu symptom. Sore throat, body aches, pounding head, blocked nose. Despite your raging fever, your body shivered, Your body ached, “have you had some medicine,” Steph asked you, causing Kyra to groan.

“Yes, and Katie and Caitlin make her a smoothie so she ate something, even though she did almost throw it back up and they put tissues in her pockets and some more medicine for later, as well as her asthma puffer,” Kyra complained.

“If you’d just stayed at your own house-” you began to croak out but a cough interrupted you, causing Steph to hand you some water, Kyra just huffing and walking away, however the water didn’t help and very quickly Steph was pulling out your puffer.

“Okay, deep breaths, that’s it,” Steph said before placing it in your mouth and pushing the cylinder down, dispensing the medication, hoping to prevent a full blown asthma attack.

-

You stumbled slightly as you stood up out of your seat, the dizziness threatening to send you to the ground, after a short break of standing still and with Steph's help you managed to make it into the locker room having stayed on your own two feet for the whole way, before collapsing back in your locker, staying there until it was time for the game to start

-

You sat in your seat on the bench sideways, next to Lia who was on the bench for the first half of the game. You were curled up in a little ball, you lent your side into the back of the chair and your head lolled against your knees and the chair. Your body was wrapped in one of the sub puffer jackets, and yet you still felt cold. Katie, still feeling very concerned about your less than usual behaviour, decided to donate her jacket to you, placing it over your body before placing a kiss on your forehead, wincing at the heat still radiating off your body despite the additional dose of medicine the medics had given you. Your asthma puffer along with a spacer sat between you and Lia, the medics deciding it was best if you had a spacer after your episode on the bus, your water bottle sat alongside it.

-

Waking up and looking at the clock you’d realised you must’ve fallen asleep, there was only 5 minutes left of the first half. Suddenly your body was overtaken by extreme nausea and you jumped out of your seat, causing the jacket Katie gave you to fall to the ground, ignoring the black spots developing in your vision you stumbled your way into the locker room, trying to save yourself the embarrassment of throwing up in front of a sold out Joie Stadium, you managed to find yourself a bin in the locker room, hunching over it you began to lose the very little amount of food you’d had that day.

“You’re okay y/n/n, it’s okay, just let it all out,” Lia said as her hand rubbed your back, she’d obviously followed you into the locker room.

-

Leah was being subbed off at half time, and offered to sit next to you until she realised you had a sick bag with you, and she completely retreated from that offer, sitting as far away as possible on the bench, she was known for not having the strongest stomach on the team. So you ended up next to Katie, she’d managed to convince you to lie down, your head on her lap, the rest of your body curled up in your seat, the sick bag now laying beside your head. You very quickly fell asleep again, your body absolutely exhausted from trying to fight off the bug you had, you’d stayed asleep for the whole of the second half, and Katie decided to carry you to the bus immediately after the final whistle was blown, hoping to avoid the fans and keep you asleep. Katie had been successful in her mission, you having stayed asleep for the whole trip home, slightly raising the concerns of the older girls, however the medics telling them it was good, it was a sign your body was fighting off your illness. Katie decided to just carry you to the car, placing you in the front seat as it was easier, Caitlin and Kyra sitting in the back, they dropped Kyra off to her own house on the way home, knowing you would prefer her not to be around due to her pest-y habits.

“Hey chicken, can you wake up for me?” Caitlin asked you, noticing you were half awake now.

“Cait,” you mumbled.

“Yeah I’m here, let's get you inside, Katie is running you a bath,”

“m’kay” you replied slightly incoherently, and Caitlin helped you inside, supporting most of your body weight. 

-

You tossed and turned, not being able to fall asleep, feeling too sick to do so. So you decided to venture out to the living room where you knew Katie and Caitlin were. 

“Everything okay chick?” Katie asked concerned as you entered the living room, clutching your pillow to your chest and one of your blankets trailing behind you, 

“I can’t sleep,” you replied tearfully.

“That’s okay chicken, how bout you come lie down here next to me and see if that helps,” you nodded before making your way over to her, Katie took your pillow and angled it up against her thigh before you lied down your blanket wrapping around you, with the familiar presence of Katie and Caitlin and Katie’s comforting hand on your back you were able to drift back asleep again.

[chaotic-toasters]

Tunnel Vision

Arsenal Women x Teen! Reader

Thanks to @scribblesofagoonerr for helping me on this every time I got stuck (I got stuck a lot 💀)

TW: Graphic descriptions of injury and blood, allusion to a panic attack

----------------------

"Hi, Foxy!" you chirped, hugging the older American from behind. "Are you ready to kick Aston Villa's butt?"

"Hey, kid," she smiled fondly, squeezing you tightly. "I'm always ready. That reminds me, are you all packed for US camp next week?"

"Yeah," you responded with a grin. "I'm excited to see everybody."

Emily released you, ruffling your hair as everyone began lining up in the tunnel. "They're all excited to see you too, but let's focus on the match right now."

"Okay, Foxy." Just before you slipped into your match mindset, somebody else tapped you on the shoulder.

"Oi," the new voice whispered. "No hello for your old roommate?"

"Jordan!" you beamed, tackling the older girl in a hug. "I missed you!"

The Brit's smile was blinding. "I've missed you too, kid. We'll talk more after the game, okay?"

You nodded, hugging her again before stepping into line behind Frida. It was always nice seeing old teammates, but you had no problem beating them in matches.

-

With the score at 4-1 in favor of Arsenal, the gunners should have been having a great time. For some reason, though, your teammates wanted more. They were hungry for a bigger gap in the scoresheet, and it was messing with some of their heads. Steph was pushed up even farther than usual, Leah's tackles were unreasonably harsh, and Stina's shots were so powerful, it was almost like she was angry. The most noticeable change in behavior, though, was Alessia's.

The Englishwoman's challenges and touches to other players were far more fierce than they should have been, and some of the Aston Villa players were making a conscious effort to stay away from her.

You, on the other hand, didn't think the forward's aggression applied to you. That was why you didn't blink twice when Alessia sprinted towards you in the box, trying to open herself up for a pass.

It was unfortunate, to say the least. Most of the players on the field were crowded into the 18-yard box, so when Alessia accidentally slammed into your side, none of the players or officials saw it. Alessia herself didn't even notice, too focused on the ball and too high on adrenaline to feel just how hard she'd hit someone.

Play continued on as you went flying headfirst into the advertising boards, colliding with the signs with a sickening crunch, players too busy yelling and trying to push each other out of the way to hear or see. Not that you could tell. To you, the world was completely devoid of sound. The nearly sold-out Emirates Stadium was silent and dark, things around you terribly blurry and dim. You tried to pull yourself to your feet, but your hand merely shook on your chest as blood started creeping down your forehead. It was strange, you thought, how you could be bleeding like this, but not feel any pain. While debating whether it was a good or bad thing, you passed out.

-

It was Beth's scream of terror that caused play to die down. She'd taken up space on the wing, looking for a pass, but when she glanced up at the goal, her eyes instead zeroed in on your limp form laying in the broken pieces of the advertising board. The Englishwoman's guttural cry of fear had rung out over the roar of the crowd and instantly caught the attention of everyone on the field, and they'd all followed her gaze only to be met with the sight of you, a curtain of crimson slowly oozing down to your cheeks.

"What- what happened?" Emily's voice was weirdly high-pitched as Lotte tried to lead her away. "She- she was fine just a minute ago!"

"Don't look," the Lioness murmured, gently guiding the other defender away by the shoulders. "You'll just worry yourself more if you look."

But she couldn't. Your only American teammate at Arsenal couldn't help but stare as paramedics ran onto the field, surrounding you, talking quietly but quickly amongst themselves. She wanted to look away, she really did, but fear gripped at not only her heart, but her head. It forced her to watch on, to watch as you suffered and didn't respond to the paramedics. The fear was stronger than anything she'd ever felt before, and she was certain that it would be the strongest thing she would ever feel.

-

The gunners were evenly split. Half couldn't tear their eyes away from where the paramedics were lifting you onto a stretcher, and the other half were trying to get their shock-ridden teammates to look elsewhere.

Most of the players apart of the second half were successful in getting the others to direct their attention away from you, but there was one player who was stood inside the box, firmly rooted onto the pitch where she'd stood when the whistle was blown sharply.

Alessia. She'd realized what had happened as soon as she saw you. She may have only felt herself collide with you subconsciously, but she could still remember it. She could remember sprinting as fast as she could, tunnel-visioned on the ball but hitting you in the process, and it was as if she'd been tased with the terrible realization of it all.

She had been the one to push you. She had been the one to send you flying into the advertising boards. She had been the one to cause whatever horrific injury you had just sustained.

She'd been so focused on the game that she'd sent one of the sweetest and most innocent people on the team to A&E.

And for it to be you? You were only sixteen. You were always so happy and and positive, and now you were in bad condition because Alessia was too busy being greedy and wasn't paying attention to anything other than scoring.

As the paramedics carried you away on a stretcher, Alessia's legs gave out beneath her. Her breathing was rapid, guilt taking over every fiber of her being as she gripped at the grass beneath her. Some of her England teammates crouched next to her, speaking quietly, but she was too spaced out to notice.

What was supposed to be a simple match day had turned into a horror show. And there was no one to blame but her.

[scribblesofagoonerr]

found a music ask, send me some numbers through and I'll answer away! 🎸🎵

Some music asks hehe 💖🎶

Favorite 3 artists/bands?

Favorite 3 songs?

Favorite 3 albums?

Last song you played?

Favorite music genres?

Favorite decade in music?

Play any instruments? If not, which would you like to play?

Do you like singing?

Do you like dancing?

Singing or dancing?

Have you ever written a song?

What do you think makes a great song?

Are lyrics and their meaning very important to you?

Do you like classical music?

Some songs that make you cry?

Think of someone; what song do you associate them with?

How many concerts have you been to?

Do you own any band/artist merch?

Do you own physical albums or singles?

Do you make/listen to your own playlists, or do you just shuffle all songs?

Favorite music video?

If you could meet any music artist, which would it be?

Your biggest crush in music?

At what age did you start enjoying music, and what kind of music did you like at first?

Alternative or "mainstream" music?

Have you ever been in a heated argumemt with someone about music?

What do you think of the Grammy awards? Do they deserve credibility?

What's more trustworthy? Popularity or critical acclaim?

Do you listen to music written in different languages?

Are you a close follower of a specific musician/band?

Any artists you absolutely hate?

Your least favorite music genre?

Have you ever dedicated a song to someone?

Do you listen to music while studying or doing homework?

Do you play music while taking a shower?

Do you think certain types of music could have a bad influence on people?

What's the most underrated musician/band in your opinion?

What's the most overrated musician/band in your opinion?

"Weirdest" music you like?

An album or song you dislike from an artist you really like?

[greynatomy]

neowwww @scribblesofagoonerr

[salemahn]

Arsenal

The Big Screen ~ @avaf00rd

821 / Fluff

April Fools ~ @wileys-russo

1.5K / Fluff

Can You Not Just Sit Still? ~ @wileys-russo

1K / Fluff

Contacts Chaos ~ @etherealstar-writes

841 / Fluff

Drop Kick ~ @wileys-russo

1.3K / Fluff

North London Bound ~ @adascore

4.4K / Fluff

Transferring To Lesbianism ~ @katiemccabeswife

1.9K / Fluff

Anxiety ~ @helen-with-an-a

2.4K / Fluff, Slight Angst

Family, Not By Blood But By Choice Instead ~ @scribblesofagoonerr

2.6K / Fluff, Angst

Baby of The Group ~ @p0orbaby

460 / Fluff

Loved Ones ~ @woso-fan13

386 / Fluff

Flashbacks ~ @woso-fan13

600 / Fluff

Misophonia ~ @mrchiipchrome

2.7K / Fluff

Have I Given Enough ~ @adascore

2.1K / Fluff, Angst

Daddy Issues ~ @katiemccabeswife

4.9K / Fluff, Angst

Paintball ~ @etherealstar-writes

1K / Fluff

Foster ~ @woso-dreamzzz

914 / Fluff

Flu Season ~ @imbored1201

1.4K / Fluff

Found Family ~ @samkerrworshipper

5.9K / Fluff

Endo Struggles ~ @lvnleah

3K / Fluff

Baby Arsenal ~ @dqrciedaily

620 / Fluff

Travel Day ~ @alotofpockets

1K / Fluff

To Jump The Gun(ners) ~ @adascore

3.5K / Fluff, Angst

I'm Never Babysitting Again! ~ @scribblesofagoonerr

5.2K / Fluff, Slight Angst

Little Sh*ts ~ @avaf00rd

4.2K / Fluff

[moonlight-alexia]

do you have any favourite teen reader fics that you recommend? thanks :)

most of what i read when it comes to teen reader tends to be hurt/comfort/angst :)

ad astra per aspera masterlist - b14augrana (this is my top favourite series for teen!reader atm) (alexia)

nena - kyra-cooneyx (barca)

in your corner - barcaatthemoon (barca)

sniffles - barcaatthemoon (barca)

i hate you for what you did and i miss you like a little kid - alesandraelin (awfc)

drop kick - wileys-russo (awfc)

birds of a feather - pitchsidestories (awfc)

family, not by blood but by choice instead - scribblesofagoonerr (awfc)

12 weeks - katiemccabeswife (auswnt)

crashing - chaotic-toasters (auswnt)

[scribblesofagoonerr]

Christmas fic with the two chaotic little troublemakers 🎅🏻🎄

— christmas chaos buddies 🎄

a little Boxing Day treat featuring your two little favourites! written with @scribblesofagoonerr 💗 bit of a long one at 4.2k words

“Alright, Munchkin!” Beth said, hoisting you up onto her hip so you could see what was on offer at the canteen. “What would you like for your Christmas dinner?”

You looked at the food in front of you, wrinkling your nose. There were big dishes of turkey, potatoes, sausages, and vegetables that didn’t look anything like the ones you liked at home. 

You pointed at the rolls right away. “Bread please.”

Beth laughed softly, shaking her head. “You can’t just have bread, Roo. How about some turkey? Or potatoes? You eat the ones me and Mamma make at home!”

You glanced at the turkey and scrunched up your nose. It looked weird. “I don’t like it,” you mumbled.

“You haven’t even tried it,” Beth said, but she wasn’t really mad. “Come on, just a little bit.”

Next to you, Buddy was tugging on Leah’s hand, bouncing on her toes as she scanned the food, protesting about eating any of it, “I don’ want to eat it!” she announced, dramatically pointing ahead at the tray of steaming broccoli, “It smells funny!”

“Bubba, you have to try it,” Leah sighed, her voice already tired and definitely not in the mood to argue with a stubborn three-year-old, “I need you to at least try and eat one vegetable on your plate, okay?”

“Nooo!” Buddy whined, crossing her arms over her chest, “I don’ like it! It’ ugly, Mummy!”

“It might look ugly, but I promise you it tastes good,” Leah began to explain, trying to stifle her own amusement, “Why don’t you just try them?”

“I think she might have a point about the broccoli, Le,” Monkey chimed in, appearing the other side of Leah as she stood on her tiptoes and attempted to peer over her shoulder, “It looks proper rank and disgusting. I don’t blame her for not wanting to eat none of it.”

“See, Mummy! Monks’ said I don’ have to eat it!” Buddy exclaimed, adamant on her decision to not eat any of it, “Ou’ don’t even eat it either. Why do I’ have to?”

“You pair are a nightmare together,” Leah muttered to herself, shaking her head as she crouched down to Buddy’s level, “How about we just try and put a little bit on your plate, okay? Try it for Mummy.”

“No, I don’ wan’ it!” Buddy shot back, stomping her foot in protest, “If ‘ou don’t have it then neither do I!” she added, determined on her own opinion on the matter of broccoli.

Beth nudged you forward, “Okay, turkey for you. Maybe a few potatoes too?”

“Just the bread,” you tried again, but it was no use. The turkey and a scoop of mushy potatoes ended up on your plate anyway.

As soon as Leah wrestled some broccoli onto Buddy’s plate, you both made your way to the table. It was big and shiny with decorations, and everyone was already sitting down. You joined Lia, Steph and Monkey. Lia was chatting with Steph, Monkey was looking like she was up to something, and Vic was laughing at something Kyra said from the table beside you. Monkey was in a mood because Leah had banned her from sitting with Kyra as their recent antics had been a bit too much. 

Beth sat you on her lap, your plate in front of you. You poked at the potatoes with your fork. They looked mushy. “I don’t like these,” you whispered.

Beth kissed the top of your head. “Just try a little, Roo.”

Across the table, Buddy was already causing trouble. She was sitting on a chair on her knees, playing with her dinosaurs while Leah tried to get her to eat her dinner. 

“Roar!” Buddy shouted, making her plastic t-rex stomp on the table as it almost landed in her own dinner, “M’ t-rex don’ even wanna eat the smelly trees!”

“Bubba, come on, it’s time to put the dinosaurs away now,” Leah attempted to coax Buddy into eating her own dinner, “You can play with them afterwards, okay?”

Buddy scrunched her nose up in disagreement, “I’ no wan eat them smelly green trees! ‘Ou don’ even eat them yourself!”

Leah’s eyes widened at the sass from her three-year-old, “Buddy!”

Monkey snorted from across the table, “Touche, little Buddy,” she leaned across and high-fived the three-year-old, “Nice one!”

“Don’t encourage her,” Leah shot Monkey a look that could have turned her to stone, however, Monkey just continued to grin in amusement, “Bubba, please just try and eat something. How about the carrots instead?”

“They’ gross as well!” Buddy continued to scrunch her face up in disgust, “I wan’ beige food!”

“Well… She’s definitely your kid, Le,” Beth chimed in, amusedly.

“Unbelievable,” Leah muttered, shaking her head as she practically gave up on the idea of getting Buddy to eat any kind of vegetable at this point.

Meanwhile, you were still sitting on Beth’s lap, poking at your potatoes as if they might come alive. Beth sighed softly, guiding your hand with hers to bring a small forkful to your mouth. “Come on, Roo. Just one bite. I promise it’s not that bad.”

You scrunched up your nose but reluctantly took a nibble. It wasn’t as awful as you thought, but you weren’t about to admit that. “It’s okay,” you said, which for you was practically a five-star review.

Beth beamed, “See? I told you!”

Leah glanced over, noticing your tiny triumph, “Look, Bubba, Roo’s being brave and eating new things. Why don’t you try, and you can be brave as well?”

“Nooo!” Buddy shook her head firmly in disagreement.

“Why don’t you eat the potatoes, little miss? They’re very beige,” Beth attempted to help Leah out as Buddy squinted, looking sceptical at it before proceeding to nod, “There we go, we have some luck!” She joked.

“I’ eat off your plate!” Buddy declared, before prompting to take a spoonful of mashed potato off Leah’s plate, “Mm’ it yummy, Mummy!”

“Well I’m glad you at least like the mashed potato,” Leah chuckled, failing to hide her amusement as she now had no choice but to allow Buddy to eat off her own plate, happy as long as she was eating.

You leaned back against Beth’s chest, deciding you were done with the potatoes. That’s when your eyes wandered to the plate next to you—Steph’s.

You reached out tentatively, but Beth caught your wrist. “Roo,” she whispered, her voice both amused and warning as you tried to steal some peas.

You looked up at her with your best innocent eyes. “Just one?”

“Roo, no,” Beth laughed, “If you want some I’ll go get you some, okay?”

You sighed and leaned against Beth’s chest again as she started talking to Lia who was sitting on the other side of the table. When she wasn’t looking you reached over to Steph’s plate and stole a couple peas.  

“Hey!” Steph suddenly turned, catching you red-handed. “Are you stealing my peas?”

You froze for a second, “Nooo?” you giggled. 

Steph raised an eyebrow, her smile playing at the corners of her lips. “Oh really? Because it sure looks like you’re stealing my peas, little Munchkin.”

“Roo!” Beth gasped dramatically, “Are you being a little pea monster?”

You giggled, shaking your head, “Nooo!”

“You’re a little monster!” Beth said, tickling your sides. You giggled as you squirmed in Beth’s lap, slowly slipping off before you were fully standing. 

“Mummy, I’m bored!” You huffed as you stood beside Beth, “I’m done eating.” 

Beth looked at your half-empty plate and then down at you, her eyebrow raised. “Done already? What about your turkey? Or those potatoes you actually liked a minute ago?”

You crossed your arms and shook your head stubbornly. “I’m done, Mummy.”

“Do you not want any more turkey?”

You scrunched up your nose again and looked back at your plate. “Do I have to?”

Beth leaned down and kissed the top of your head before pulling you back up onto her lap. “Just a couple more bites, Roo. Then you can be officially done, okay?”

You huffed dramatically but picked up your fork, poking at the potatoes one more time. You sat on Beth’s lap and started to munch on some turkey, actually liking it this time. 

It wasn’t all that long before Buddy got bored of eating off Leah’s own plate and decided she was done with sitting on the chair.

“Roar!” Buddy shouted aloud, standing on the chair as she held a dinosaur in each of them before proceeding to make them stomp across the table, “Roaaaar!”

“Buddy, bubba, sit down,” Leah exhaled a sigh and rubbed her temple, “Everyone else around the table is still eating. I’m sure they don’t want to end up with a dinosaur in their dinner, do they?”

“I’ pretending to be a dino’daur, Mummy!” Buddy was eccentric, continuing to make her dinosaurs stomp across the table as one nearly fell directly into a plateful of gravy.

However, as soon as Buddy caught sight that you had nearly finished the last bit of your turkey, she had another bright idea, “Me an’ Roo go see everyone else!”

“Not yet, bubba,” Leah began to say, her tone of voice firm but Buddy had already hopped down from her chair, “Buddy, come back here please.”

“What’s the worst that can happen,” Beth joked with the blonde.

“Be careful,” Leah called over, exhaling a sigh as she went back to eating the remainder of her dinner after Buddy had finished picking at it.

“Just don’t cause too much trouble,” Beth called after you both as you slid down from her lap and immediately followed Buddy. 

“Come on Roo!” Buddy squealed with delight, dragging you toward the next table where Katie, Caitlin and Kyra were seated, “Hi, ‘Ra!”

“Hi, pipsqueak!” Kyra grinned, scooping down to lift the three-year-old onto her lap, “And what’re you two up to?”

“I’ be eatin’ my Mummy’s dinner!” Buddy grinned, proud of herself for eating at least some kind of dinner, before she got restless and proceeded to wriggle over to plonk herself on Katie’s lap, “What ‘ou eating Auntie Katie?”

Katie looked down at her plate, then at Buddy, eyebrows raised. “I’ve got carrots, potatoes, and turkey. Do yer wanna try some?”

Buddy scrunched her nose up, “Nooo! Carrots’ gross! Do ‘ou have chips? Me like them!”

Katie laughed. “Chips? At Christmas dinner? What do yer think this is, a takeaway?”

Buddy crossed her arms over her chest and leant against Katie’s chest dramatically, “It’ be better if there were chips!”

“The green things are smelly!” You added in as you climbed up onto Caitlin’s lap beside Katie. 

Alessia raised an eyebrow, “Green things?”

“The trees!” you explained, your voice filled with mock disgust.

Caitlin laughed, wrapping her arms loosely around your waist to keep you from sliding off her lap. “What’s wrong with broccoli? It’s good for you!”

Buddy shook her head fiercely from where she was perched on Katie’s lap, “Nuh-uh. Broccoli look like smelly trees! Mummy said I’ hav’ to try it, but I’ don’ wan it!”

“You should try it. It’s good for yer’ Tiny,” Katie chuckled.

“Nooo way!” Buddy giggled, turning to Katie, “Do ‘ou like smelly trees?”

Katie smirked, “Love ’em. They’re my favorite part of the meal.”

“You’re lying!” you giggled, narrowing your eyes suspiciously at Katie.

Caitlin laughed so hard she nearly choked on her drink. “Oh, you’ve got her figured out, Roo. Katie’s not fooling anyone!”

“Ou’ no’ lie Auntie Katie! It’ naughty!” Buddy insisted, peering up to look at Katie, “Ou’ can’ lie or Santa won’ come!”

“Course I do!” Katie said with a wink, though the way she quickly reached for her water to wash it down made you and Buddy burst into laughter.

“Ou’ lying!” Buddy declared, her voice triumphant as she threw her hands in the air.

“Lying’s naughty,” you added, leaning back in Caitlin’s arms with a cheeky grin. 

Kyra smirked, leaning back in her chair. “Oh, they’ve got you there, Katie. Imagine being called out by a three and five-year-old. What’s next, them doing a protest outside the canteen?”

“We do that!” Buddy insisted, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

“Oh no, no, no,” Caitlin said quickly, pulling you a little closer to keep you from getting any ideas. 

“We do’ it an’ protest again… against da’ smelly trees!” Buddy was already bouncing on Katie’s lap with a plot in mind, “We’ make signs. Monks’ can help! Roo, ‘ou can yell into the loud thing–”

“A ‘egaphone!” you supplied, giggling.

Katie shook her head, trying not to laugh as she put a hand on Buddy’s shoulder to steady her. “Alright, you two, enough of that. I’m not getting in trouble because you started a riot over vegetables.”

“Ugh,” Buddy sighed dramatically, flopping back against Katie, “Come on, Roo. Let’ go an’ find someone’ else!”

You slid off Caitlin's lap, saying your goodbyes as you grabbed Buddy’s hand. The two of you ran around a few tables before you and Buddy scurried over to Amanda and Vic, who were sitting together with Amanda’s baby, Mila, cradled in Amanda’s arms. Mila was tiny, Amanda had only been back for a few weeks but you had been completely obsessed with her. 

“Hi!” Buddy announced her entrance, loud as predicated, “We ‘ere! We see baby?” She asked eagerly.

“Hello, double trouble!” Vic giggled as she helped Buddy climb onto the seat beside her. 

“Baby Mila!” You squealed as you noticed the baby looking at you from Amanda’s lap. 

Buddy continued to look at Mila in Amanda’s arms, “She so small! Why is she’ like that?” She exclaimed, confused.

“She’s only three months old,” Amanda said softly, smiling as she adjusted Mila in her arms as she looked between you and Buddy. “Babies are very little when they’re first born.”

Buddy continued to tilt her head in confusion, “I’ no like that when I little?”

“Oh, you definitely were,” Leah chimed in, crouching beside Buddy as she wrapped her free arm around the three-year-old to keep her steady, “You were once a little tiny baby just like Mila is now, Bubba.”

“Why does she have no teeth?” you asked, pointing at Mila’s gummy smile.

“Babies don’t get teeth until they’re a bit older,” Vic explained, leaning over to tickle Mila’s belly gently. “She’ll get them when she’s ready.”

Buddy’s curiosity got the better of her, trying to reach her hand out as it stopped short of touching Mila’s face, “Can I’ touch her? She won’ bite me, will she?”

“No biting,” Amanda said with a laugh. “You can touch her gently, though. Be very careful, okay?”

“I’ can do that!” Buddy promptly nodded, seriously as her little fingers brushed over Mila’s hand, “She’ so soft! Why don’ she talk?”

“She’s too little to talk right now,” Amanda explained patiently. “But one day, she’ll learn words just like you and Roo.”

“Can she walk?” you asked, your curiosity endless.

“No, Roo,” Vic said, chuckling. “She can’t walk yet either. Babies have to learn how to crawl and then walk when they get bigger.”

“Does she eat smelly trees?” Buddy questioned, wrinkling her nose dramatically.

“Nope,” Amanda said with a laugh. “Mila only drinks milk right now. No smelly broccoli for her.”

“She lucky, cos’ they be’ gross!” Buddy muttered, crossing her arms and looking at Leah pointedly.

“What does she do?” you asked, leaning closer.

Amanda smiled. “She sleeps, eats, and sometimes cries. And she loves cuddles.”

“I’ show her my dino’daurs?” Buddy didn’t hesitate to wait for an answer before eagerly grabbing it and shoving it directly in front of Mila’s face, “I’ show her the t-rex! It’ be loud like me!”

Amanda shook her head gently. “She’s too little to play right now, Buddy.”

“Why no’ play?” Buddy frowned, clearly unimpressed that Mila didn’t do all that much, “She’ borin’ if she no’ do nothin’!”

“She’s just a baby,” Vic teased, nudging Buddy lightly. “You were the same way once.”

Buddy continued to frown at Mila, a small pout plastered on her face, before attempting to try and win Mila over with her beloved dinosaur in her hand, “Look, Mi’a! Roaaaar!” She shouted, her voice loud and excited.

Mila immediately scrunched up her face, her little bottom lip wobbling before a loud wail escaped her.

“Me’ no like how loud she is!” Buddy exclaimed, dropping her dinosaur from her hand and planting her hands directly over her ears, “Mummy! Turn her off, p’ease. Me no’ like it!”

“Bubba,” Leah groaned, scooping Buddy up into her arms before she could attempt to make any more loud noise, “Remember what I said about using our inside voices, hmm? Mila’s very little right now, and we don’t want to scare her now, do we?”

“But I’ just showin’ her my dino’daurs Mummy!” Buddy protested, feigning her innocence, “I’ no get why she no’ like them though!”

“Baby Mila sad?” you said, your eyes wide as you watched Amanda bounce Mila gently to calm her.

Beth came over and crouched beside you, pulling you closer. “Babies are very sensitive. You have to be extra gentle around them, she’ll be okay in a minute.”

“Do you think you can say sorry to Mila for making her cry, Bubba?” Leah coaxed Buddy to apologise to the tiny baby in Amanda’s arms, “I’m sure if it happened to you then you wouldn’t like it either, would you?”

“I’ sorry, Baby Mila,” Buddy pouted, looking genuinely sorry about scaring her.

Amanda smiled softly, rocking Mila in her arms until she settled. “It’s okay, Buddy. She’ll be alright.”

“Right, come on my little dino, how about we give it another attempt to eat some broccoli, hmm?” Leah tried her luck to wrangle Buddy to eat her own dinner, having the advantage of still having her in her arms, “Even dinos’ need to eat their greens, remember?”

“Fine, if I must,” Buddy huffed dramatically, reluctant to eat but having no choice as she’s set back down in her chair, “But if I’ eat them then so do ‘ou as well, Mummy. It only fair. Deal?”

Leah’s own face fell at her three years old’s words, and knew she wouldn’t be able to get out of that one now, “Deal, Bubba,” She agreed, reluctantly eating a forkful of broccoli and trying to not scrunch her face up in disgust at the taste of it in her mouth, “Mm’ this is really nice, I think you’ll definitely like it, bubba!”

“Ou’ no like it either, Mummy!” Buddy barely even ate a bit of it and screwed her own face up in disgust, “It’ no nice, Mummy. ‘Ou no fool no more! It’ yucky and gross! It’ goes in bin!” No more hesitation to climb down from the table, grab her plate in her hand and toddle over to the bin and toss it in.

“Buddy, you barely touched anything on your plate,” Leah chided, shaking her head in disbelief, “Now what are you going to have to eat instead?”

“I’ eat crisps and chocolate!” Buddy declared, promptly while puffing out her chest, “I’ no where there’s secret snacks! Come on Roo, we’ go find Monks’ locker an’ get snacks out!”

“I… I don’t know what she’s even talking about,” Monkey tried to feign her innocence, holding her hands up in mock surrender, while narrowing her eyes to look dead at Buddy, “I thought you and I had a deal, huh? You little snitch.”

“I’ no stitch, I just hungy now!” Buddy insisted, mispronouncing the word and pouting in disagreement as she proceeded to tug on Monkey’s arm, “‘Elp’ us please, Monks’!”

“I want chocolate as well!” Your eyes lit up in excitement at the prospect of sneaking chocolate out of Monkey’s secret stash in her locker. “Can we eat all of it?”

“You little rascals can’t steal all of my chocolate! What will I eat?” Monkey exaggerated a dramatic sigh, “So unbelievable!”

“Nooo! It’s our chocolate!” You said with determination through fits of giggles, “You have to share it with us, Monkey! Tell her Mummy!” You turned to look at Beth to back you up. “Sharing caring!”

“Before you run off and eat any chocolate, you need to finish eating your dinner first, remember?” Beth joked, tickling your sides which earned another fit of laughter. 

“Even the carrots?” You scrunched your face up in disgust, side-eyeing them on the plate.

“Even the carrots,” Beth chuckled, nodding in agreement, “Sooner you eat them then sooner you can run off and find some chocolate from someone!”

“I don’t like it, but fine, I guess I will try,” You dramatically leaned against Beth’s chest as you ate the smallest mouthful of carrot on your fork, “It’s not that bad, but it’s still gross!”

Just then, you heard a familiar voice behind you, and before you could turn around, you felt a tap on your shoulder. “Guess what, Roo?” Kyra’s playful voice cut through the chatter, and you turned around to see her grinning at you, looking mischievous 

“What?” you asked, genuinely curious.

“I heard there might be some leftover chocolate pudding for dessert,” Kyra said, her grin turning into a wink. “Wanna help me sneak some?”

Your eyes widened. “Chocolate pudding?”

“Uh-huh!” Kyra nodded, then looked around to make sure no one was listening. “You in?”

You looked over at Leah and then at Beth, who were too busy with the rest of the table to notice. With a cheeky grin, you nodded eagerly. “Yes, please!”

Buddy quickly chimed in. “I’ help! Me like chocolate!”

The two of you ran off with Kyra who helped you get some chocolate cake each which the pair of you ate in the corner, giggling away. Soon enough, you and Beth were on your way home. 

“Hi Mamma!” You grinned and Viv’s face popped up on the screen. You held Beth’s phone in front of you as you sat in your car seat.  

“Hi, lieverd!” Viv’s warm smile lit up the screen as she waved at you. “Did you have fun today with Mummy and everyone?”

“Yeah!” you exclaimed, leaning closer to the phone. “We had carrots. They were gross, but I ate some! And then Kyra gave me chocolate cake!”

“Chocolate cake?” Viv raised her eyebrows, feigning surprise. “Was it good?”

“Uh-huh, so yummy!” you nodded enthusiastically, “But Buddy wanted to steal all of Monkey’s chocolate first. She’s a chocolate monster!”

Beth’s laugh rang through the car as she listened to your conversation with Viv, “How’s Manchester?”

“Quiet, compared to your chaos,” Viv teased, but her expression softened. “I miss you both.”

“I miss you too, Mamma,” you said, your voice softening. “Are you coming home soon?”

“I’ll be home in a few days, Roo,” Viv reassured you. “And when I get there, we’ll do something special, just us three. How does that sound?”

“Can we have pancakes?” you asked, your eyes lighting up.

“Pancakes it is,” Viv promised with a nod.

“Baby Mila is cute, Mamma!” You told Viv, “She loud though, Buddy didn’t like her crying and wanted to turn her off! She’s tiny.”

Viv laughed at that, shaking her head. “Oh, Buddy wanted to turn her off, did she? I can imagine her face saying that. Babies can be loud sometimes, Roo.”

“Yeah but Mila still cute!” You nodded, “She has tiny hands! I held her, Mamma, and she grabbed my finger!” you added excitedly.

“She already loves you,” Viv said warmly. “You’re so gentle with babies, Roo.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m a big girl now!” you declared proudly.

Beth smiled, glancing at you through the rearview mirror. “That’s right, Roo. You’re so good with little ones.”

“I wish you were here too, Mamma,” you said, your voice softening.

“I know, lieverd,” Viv said, her own tone gentle. “But I’ll be back before you know it. And when I am, we’ll have all the pancakes and chocolate cake you want. Deal?”

“Deal!” you grinned.

“Alright, Roo,” Beth said, taking the phone back gently. “Say bye to Mamma.”

“Bye, Mamma! I love you!” you said, blowing a kiss to the screen.

“I love you too, mijn meisje,” Viv replied, catching your kiss with her hand. “Be good for Mummy, okay? I’ll phone you later.”

“Okay, Mamma!” you grinned, bouncing in your car seat with excitement. 

Beth chuckled, saying her own goodbyes before hanging up the phone and tucking it back into her pocket. She glanced at you, “Ready to go inside, Roo?”

You nodded eagerly, “Yep! And we’re having pancakes when Mamma gets home!”

“That’s right,” Beth said with a smile, “But first, how about we watch a movie before bath time?”

“Yeah!” You nodded as Beth got out of the car to unstrap you, “Only if I can have popcorn though!”

“Deal,” Beth said, opening the car door. “Let’s get inside, then.”

As the two of you walked inside, you chattered away about everything you’d seen and done today, the promise of pancakes and dinosaurs filling your thoughts. Beth smiled as she listened, already looking forward to the next few days when the whole family would be together again.

[scribblesofagoonerr]

clash of colours | like mother, like daughter mini series

summary: rascal opens her presents on christmas day and is disappointed to recieve the wrong kit, much to katie's outrage over the situation.

like mother, like daughter masterlist

“Mammy! Caitlin!” You shout loudly, bouncing on the bed to wake them up, “Wake up, it’s Christmas!”

In your excitement, you stumble and flop directly onto Caitlin, who grumbles a half-hearted protest as she nudges her girlfriend, “Katie, Rascal’s awake.”

Katie groans, barely cracking an eye open as she glances at the clock, “What the– Rascal, it’s not even 6 a.m yet. What’re yer’ doin’ up so early?”

“Santa’s been, Mammy!” You exclaim, bouncing harder, “It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas!”

“Rascal, it’s not even light out yet, see?” Katie gestures toward the window, encouraging you to take a peek out of it and see it’s still relatively dark out, “How ‘bout we try sleeping a bit longer, yeah? Presents will still be there in a bit.”

Of course you’re not going to give in that easily though.

“No, Mammy. We’ve gots’ to get up and open presents!” You try your luck to pull her arm to get her out of bed, however it’s easier said than done.

“Rascal, let’s sleep for a bit longer. Yer’ presents will still be there to open even then,” Katie continues to try and persuade you, clearly not much of a fan of being woken up early despite the years she should have been used to it by now.

“No, up now!” Your frustration turns into whines, “Come on, Mammy!” You’re confused why won’t they wake up already?

“Something tells me I don’t think she’s going back to sleep anytime soon,” Caitlin jokes playfully, nudging her girlfriend, “Shall we go downstairs and see what Santa has brought you then, eh?” She wonders.

“Yeah!” You perk up immediately from the small tantrum you had begun to have and you're grateful at least Caitlin agreed to get up, “Come on, Mammy. We’re gonna open presents!”

Without much choice but to agree to you, Katie huffs and throws the duvet back before she scoops you up into her arms, “Right, come on then. Lets’ go and see what the man in red’s brought yer’ then, eh?”

“Santa!” You squeal in excitement, even more excited to see if he had eaten the milk and cookies that you left for him the previous night, “Santa! Santa!”

“Are you excited to see what presents Santa has left for you?” Caitlin questions, amused by your excitement as you flail about in Katie’s arms, “I bet you’ve been so spoiled!”

“Santa!” You continue to squeal, vibrating with excitement as your eyes widen in sudden realisation, “Wait, no, Mammy– Auntie Lalas’ not ‘wake yet!”

“Oh believe me rascal, I don’t think yer’ auntie will mind missing out too much on this considering the time,” Katie jokes, more than aware of the fact that her sister is definitely less tolerant to being awake at this time in the morning than she is, “How about we let her sleep for a bit longer while yer’ open yer’ presents, and then yer’ can wake her up afterwards?” She suggests.

“No, Mammy, it no’ the same an Lala needs to be ‘wake as well!” You insist, furrowing her eyebrows as you pass her bedroom door, “I go an wake her up!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea rascal,” Katie hesitates to agree, shaking her head, “Let yer’ Auntie sleep–”

“No, Mammy. Wake her up!” You insist, wriggling around in Katie’s arms until she reluctantly puts you down and lets you have the freedom to run and dive onto your Auntie’s bed in a not so polite way to wake her up, “Auntie ‘Lala you gots’ to wake up! Santas’ been!”

“What in the… Rascal?!” Ella is completely thrown off by her abrupt wake up call by yourself and you should consider yourself lucky to not be tossed off the bed, “What times’ it?”

“6 am,” Katie grumbles, standing outside of the bedroom door, “I did try and tell her to let yer’ sleep but well, yer’ know how well that went.” She explains, shrugging her shoulders.

“6 AM?!” Ella repeats, her eyes darting to her phone on the bed side table, grumbling something under her breath before flopping her head back down on her pillow, “Wake me up when it’s later, like 10 or something,” She murmurs with her eyes shut again.

You don’t like the idea of her going back to sleep very much, not on your watch.

“Auntie ‘Lala, you gots’ to wake up cos’ Santa has been!” You repeat, you’re very excited about Santa paying you a visit during the night, “You gots’ to get up!”

“Sure, rascal, but it’s too early for that,” Ella murmurs in response to you, waving her hand in a gesture as she does no more than rolls over and continues to try and sleep.

You weren’t taking no for an answer though, “No, Mammy said we could get up–” Huffing aloud, you do no more than not so kindly jump directly on her stomach which makes her groan suddenly, “Get up, Auntie ‘Lala!”

“Whoa, okay, alright I think that’s enough,” Katie can tell Ella is much likely about to throttle you and steps in as she reaches for you and swoops you back up into her arms, “We’re going to leave Auntie ‘Lala to wake up and come downstairs when she’s ready, okay? We’ll go and open presents for now with just the three of us.”

You didn’t miss the way that Ella shot Katie a grateful smile as you were forced out of her room without much choice, Katie held you in her arms as she carried you down the stairs where a pile of presents awaited.

“Santas’ been!” You squeal in excitement, your eyes widen with wonder as you take in the sight of all the different presents that are laid out under the tree, “Mammy! Caitlin! Look, Santas’ been!”

“He has indeed, rascal,” Katie retorts, gently setting you down on the floor so you can explore them further, “Mammys’ just going to make me and Caitlin a drink because we’re in need of them. Can you be patient and wait until then?” She questions.

“Open presents, please,” You plead adorably, your enthusiasm infectious.

“Just wait, rascal, your Mammy won’t be too long,” Caitlin reassures you, smiling at your eagerness as plonks herself down on the sofa and anticipates the much needed cup of coffee early in the morning to deal with your excitement while opening presents.

By the time that Katie has returned with 2 cups of coffee, you are practically bursting with excitement and bouncing around the room like a bundle of energy, ready to explode, “Open presents now, please?”

“Go ahead and open them rascal,” Katie settles onto the sofa, passing a mug to Caitlin and gives you the green light to start tearing into your presents.

Your eyes widen with awe as you tear through the wrapping paper, revealing an array of toys that elicited squeals of joy with each new discovery.

Katie couldn’t help but chuckle, delighted to be able to watch the pure happiness as you unwrap every single present. She can’t wait to see the look on your face when you open your last present that she is partially excited about - A replica of her own shirt with the name “Mini McCabe” proudly emblazoned on it in the famous red and white shirt.

You continue to make your way tearing through the presents, finally reaching the last one. With eager hands, you tear off the paper, revealing the red and white football kit.

“Wow, a football kit!” You squeal in delight, clutching the fabric with glee.

However, your joy quickly turns into confusion as you examine the kit more closely.

“What’s the matter, rascal?” Caitlin questions, the concern evident in her voice.

Katie notices your sudden disappointment, “Do you not like it, rascal?” She wonders, her confusion growing.

“Tis’ Arsenal. Me wan’ Chelsea instead,” You declare, your tiny voice filled with disappointment.

Katie’s face registers a mixture of shock and disbelief, “Rascal, why would yer’ want a Chelsea kit? Mammy plays for the Gunners, not the Blues,” She reminds you, her voice tinged with surprise.

Your disappointment mirrors Katie’s as the tears well up in your innocent eyes, “Why’d Santa bring me this? I’m not a Gunner, I support the Blues!” You whimper, your heart sinking in disappointment.

Katie struggles to find her initial frustration, “Because Santa knows that in this house, we support Arsenal, rascal,” She explained, adamant about her decision that she will not be swapping out the kit for one of the rival’s team.

“Look, rascal, Santa brought you this one because he thought you’d like this one better,” Caiitlin tries to salvage the situation, “How cool does it look, huh?” She gestures, hoping to shift your focus to the positive aspect of the shirt.

“But no Chelsea,” Your bottom lip wobbled, signalling an impending meltdown.

“No Chelsea, Arsenal instead,” Katie reiterates, turning to Caitlin with a look of disbelief.

“Wow, look, rascal,” Caitlin speaks up, pointing with her index finger over the name on the back, “Do you see what it says on the back? Santa did it especially because he knew you would like it, look, it says ‘Mini Mccabe’ just like you!”

“No!” You push the material away, clearly unhappy with it.

Katie feels a pang of heart as you reject the red and white Arsenal kit, “Rascal, why don’t yer’ try it on?” She tries her best to get you to like it.

Shaking your head in disagreement, you're very reluctant to try it on, “No! Don’ want Arsenal. Wan’ Chelsea!” You insist, your tiny voice filled with determination.

“Rascal, why?” Katie’s voice trembles with surprise and disappointment, “Arsenal is the batter team, not… not Chelsea.”

Your stubbornness stings Katie, hoping you would share her passion for the Gunners but instead you have decided to lean towards their rivals in blue.

“Me wan’ Chelsea!” Your insistence crushes Katies’ hopes, leaving her at a loss for how to reconcile your conflicting loyalties, “Me no wan’ no stupid Arsenal!”

Caitlin and Katie shared a look, though Katies’ is more frustrated over the situation, “Over my dead body will my daughter wear a Chelsea shirt in this house… It’s not happenin’!”

But it did happen – As soon as Ruesha got wind of your disappointment over the “wrong” kit, she was all onboard in getting you the Chelsea kit you wanted. Anything to advert a meltdown – and, of course, wind Katie up as well.

“Look, Mammy, look!” You shout, bouncing in excitement as Katie opens the front door, her face falling as she sees you dressed head to toe in a blue and white Chelsea kit, courtesy of Ruesha, “Mama got me the kit I wanted!”

“Yer’ I can see that, Rascal,” Katie mutters, swallowing a lump of dismay as she shoots Ruesha a glare, “Really, Rue?”

Ruesha just shrugs with a mischievous grin, “Hey, anything to make the kid happy, Katie.”

Katie sighs, trying to mask her irritation, “Alright, Rascal, say bye to Mama,” She prompts, ready to end the exchange and once you’ve hugged Ruesha, Katie ushers you inside, already bracing herself for the upcoming battle of getting you out of that kit and into your pyjamas.

Much to Katie’s horror, the determination to wear your brand new kit everywhere sticks, even when it comes to the Arsenal training grounds.

“Rascal,” Katie tries her luck as she scowers your wardrobe for find something for you to wear other than that damn kit, much to your disagreement, shaking your head at every option of clothing she’s shown you, “What about this one? Look, it’s red, yer’ know like Mammy’s team!”

“No!” You exclaim, stubbornly against the idea, “Chelsea kit, Mammy! Chelsea kit!”

“You might as well give up and let her wear it,” Caitlin leans against the doorframe of your bedroom, amusedly watching the battle take place, “I’m sure this is just a phase and it’ll pass, right, Rascal?”

“Chelsea my team!” You declare, promptly as you tug at the blue and white material hung up in the wardrobe, “This one, Mammy!” You continue to insist.

“I never knew what heartbreak felt like until now, when my own kid decides to support the wrong team,” Katie murmurs, fauxing hurt as she clutches her hand over her chest, “Alright, alright, Chelsea kit is then, eh?”

Caitlin can’t help but grin in amusement, “Oh you know the girls are going to love this.”

The minute that you arrive at the training grounds, you are eager to run around and find everyone to show off your new kit to them all.

“Auntie Vivi!” You run straight towards her, as she scoops you up her arms, “Look at my new kit, it’s blue!”

“Rascal! You’re in the wrong colours,” Beth teases, eyeing your outfit as she sits beside her girlfriend.

“What on earth is this?” Leah asks with a gasp, playfully snatching you out of Vivs’ arms as she dangles you in the air to examine you head-to-toe wearing the gear of the rival club, “Katie, why is Rascal wearing this colour?”

Katie groans, already exasperated, “Don’t even get me started. Ruesha got it for her, and I’ve tried everything I can to get it off her.”

“No, ridiculous, this won’t do,” Leah tuts, shaking her head and showing her clear detest for the kit you’re donned in, “Rascal, don’t you want to be cool and wear red instead? You can even wear a jersey with my number on the back. Wouldn’t that be fun, instead of yucky blue?”

You shake your head stubbornly, “No, me wan’ wear Chelsea. I like Chelsea better, Auntie Le!” You declare to the blonde, before turning your head to look at Katie, “Mammy, do you think that Lauren James will sign my shirt at the next game?”

A ripple of gasps echoes around the room, and Katie’s teammates stare at you in stunned disbelief.

“Katie,” Lotte chimes in, horrified, “I think there might be something wrong with your kid. She might be broken.” She retorts, her tone laced with disbelief at your bold statement.

katie_mccabe11 posted

liked by caitlinfoord and 1,033 others

katie_mccabe11 true heartbreak right now as a mammy seeing your kid wear a different team to the one you play for 💔

View all 292 comments

bethmead_ legend has it that leah is still crying about this

view 12 replies liked by 129 others

viviannemeidema no words. no words at all.

view 23 replies liked by 48 others

leahwilliamsonn i am still in disbelief about this

view 19 replies liked by 130 others

caitlinfoord way to go and break your mammy's heart, rascal

view 14 replies liked by 123 others

ellamccabe like mother, like daughter

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© scribblesofagoonerr

[batllethinker]

Hope that your alright?

It hurts like a bitch and I really hope I didn't like fracture anything and this is my sisters solution (didn't have any body tape)

[scribblesofagooner]

Family, not by blood but by choice instead | awfc x reader

I messed up on this blog so I made a new one which is @scribblesofagoonerr so I’m gonna be posting over on there instead now.

You should have known, there was tell-tail signs all throughout the last several years and yet you were so blind about it all.

Your mother was a narcissist, she was manipulative and gaslighted you your whole life, you were always made out to the bad guy and she was the victim.

It was clear as day to anyone on the outside, but your niave self just chose to always believe different about things.

Looking back on the several years of your childhood, you had always thought you upbringing wasn't completely terrible. It was just the 2 of you, only your mum and you ever since you could remember. Your parents ended up splitting up when you were really little but ever since that day, you had always been made out to be the reason for their seperation.

You had always wonderd how it could be your fault. You was only 3 when he walked out, so how could it really be like that?

"You were always too much to handle. He couldn't cope," Your mum would say, all of them long nights when you would wrap your tiny arms around her and sob your little heart out to her.

"I'm here, you've got me. You've only ever got me," Her words were embedded in your head from the day that you'd decided to try and have an open conversation about the possibility of finding your dad. "Why go and find him? Haven't I been good enough. I'm the one that's looked after you all of these years and this is the thanks that I get in return?" It was always something that like, always a guiltrip and it was something that she knew would work well.

The harsh statement of the most recent conversation with the older woman left a bitter taste in your mouth and make you question every single thing in life.

"Aren't you happy for me? I made it, mum!" You exclaimed, you were happy enough to want to share the news with your mum but you found so dumbfound by her response which left you feeling shame and judgement for even wanting to tell her.

"Yes you have made it Y/N but you know, you only have me to thank for that now, don't you?" Your mum once again found a way to make it about herself, regardless of the situation;  It was always and only ever about her. "I'm sure that you can find some way to thank me though. All of those years and the amount I have spent on football boots for you. You'd be nowhere if it wasn't for me and I think you owe me now, don't you?" she told you.

You remember feeling stunned by her words, there was a lot of emotions that you had felt building up inside as you were ultimately confused how she'd somehow managed to twist this to make it all about herself but of course she was quick enough to make an excuse to end the call when she grew bored of talking to you.

You should have knew better, every phone call always ended up being the same way and it always left you with a feeling of guilt for making a life for yourself and that phone call that night wasn't any different. You had just been so excited to spill the news, however that excitment soon faded and was replaced by confused feelings of upset and anger once you'd told her, you fought to hold in your tears during the initial phone call but you were on the verge of breaking by the time she had hung up.

That phone call was the one you told her about making it into the national team, you had only been a part of Arsenal womens' first team for under a year and it felt like a massive achievement to be selected to represent your country and immediately you couldn't wait to share the news with your mum - You thought that she'd be pleased for you but you couldn't be further away from the truth.

Ever since that phone call, you had tried your hardest to distance yourself from your mum but it hurt to do that. The women was the only blood related family member that you had, it had only ever been the 2 of you, together through thick and thin.

Flash forward to now, the current time where you are sitting on the sofa, you had returned home after a long training session and you couldn't help but think about it that conversation on a constant loop in your head. 

"You were quiet tonight kidda," Leah perched on the arm of sofa as looked at you in concern. "I'm about to start cookin' tea. How's chicken dippers and smiley faces sound, eh?" she suggested.

"Mhm. Sure that sounds good to me," You mumbled as you kept your eyes focused on nothing but the telly.

The truth was that the conversation was constantly replaying in your head; The conversation, the bitterness and manipulation, every time you thought about it it then made you think of every other time that something like this happened.

Maybe your childhood wasn't as great as you really thought?

"Okay then... Is there anything that you want to talk about?" The blonde questioned, hoping for a bit more of an insight on your mood; Returning from her own rehab session, the entire car ride had been quiet compared to normal and the older woman couldn't help but feel something wasn't right.

"Nope," You stood firm in your reply, shaking your head as you kept your eyes glued on the TV screen; You couldn't really say that you payed much attention to whatever it was, the noise was pretty much a blur that was playing in the background.

"Are you sure?" Leah questioned, frowning worriedly as she took note of the tears welling up in your eyes. "Kidda, what's the matter? You look like you're gonna cry." she stated.

"I... I'm fine," You mumbled, fighting hard to keep the tears at bay until you could escape to your bedroom and allow yourself to be vulnerable and alone. You'd always felt complete shame to show any sort of vunterability in front of anyone, let alone the blonde footballer who'd virtually taken you under her wing ever since you joined during the transfer break of 2022.

You'd always been told that crying showed weakness and you refused to be seen as weak.

"Okay," Leah was quick to drop the subject when she realised you weren't going to open and talk about things. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it but just remember that I'm always here to listen. Anytime that you want too, alright?" she told you.

Unfortunately you were stubborn to not give in and blurt everything out in the open. You were just trying to wrap your head around the idea of things and see things for how they really were.

"Uh huh," You mumbled a response as you got up from the sofa and trudged in the direction of your bedroom.

Leah exhaled a sigh as she shook her head, herself heading into the kitchen to make a start on dinner. The woman knew better than to try and get you to talk if you didn't want too.

She'd always been around to witness the moments like this and the backlash of it. Of course the blonde knew this was all stemmed down to one person causing you to be like this and she hated that you were left upset every single time.

Every single time you and your mum fought, you'd always ended up quiet and in a bad mood, often resulting in lashing out at people around you as a coping mechanism.

None of the girls ever took it to heart, they were old enough to realise that none of your anger was directly aimed at them and there was bigger issues to be dealt with.

The Arsenal women all had their own opinions on the teens' mother but they would never voice them out loud to you. It wouldn't be fair on the youngest in the squad even after the countless times they had seen the girl upset by her own mums actions.

Ever since the teen had moved in, there had been several nights where Leah would be the one to comfort the girl and pick up the peices, waking up in the middle of the night to hear the teen's heartbroken sobs and feeling her own heart shatter every single time, wanting nothing more than take away any sort of pain the girl was experiencing.

It was heartbreaking for all of the team to witness and always sought out to comfort the teen no matter the situation. They knew that no matter they say, they couldn't stop her contacting her and she would be able to make her own decision soon enough when she turned 18 and until then they'd be the ones' to pick up the broken pieces when the mum let her daughter down.

They were your family, not by blood but by choice. You'd probably be lost without them sometimes.

"I... I should have realised sooner," You thought to yourself as you lay crumpled up on your bed that following night, it was almost near 4 in the morning and you were still wide awake with things racing through your head.

You couldn't help but think about things, how you should have noticed the tell-tail signs of her gaslighting you were old enough to properly realise, that was your first mistake.

Your second being that you believed her manipulation, she would always twist things to make her seem like the victim in all different situations - back when you were a child and even now as an adult.

How long it had taken you finally realise it after all of these years. Why hadn't you realised it sooner?

Without realising, you were sobbing aloud as you clutched on to your pillow tightly - the pent up anger was replaced by complete sadness and loss. You only ever wanted the approval of your mum about things and you fought so hard for it.

The phone call, the hopeful seal of approval...  Every time it always seemed to be the same type of emotions when you spoke to your mum - It was a vicious cycle of emotional abuse, or so you'd been told from other people and you never wanted to believe it.

Only problem was that you'd not been able to see it yourself, even if it was clear as day. Even if regardless of a psychological therapist telling you this, you refused to believe them words. Nor your team mates, who had realised it the first time they had the chance to meet her and even then you wouldn't listen or hear them out.

It was your mum, your flesh and blood so how could she be like that? You had never been able to wrap your head around it.

The sound of sobs were what woke Leah up, she was quick to pad out of her bedroom and down the hall to where your bedroom was. "Kidda?" The women pushed the door open and her heart cracked to see you looking so distraught and vulnerable.

The blonde was quick to move to be right beside you, she was always the one to comfort you and she wouldn't ever stop doing that as long as you needed her.

"Hey, kidda. Come here," The blonde scooped you up in her arms and rocked you all while she ran her slender fingers through your messy bedhead. "You're okay. I'm here," she reassured you.

Leah was always patient enough to wait for you to calm down before she gave you the chance to speak, she wouldn't ever push you to talk if you didn't want too.

"L... Le," You cried aloud as you clutched onto her. You breath became shaky as sobs wracked your body.

"I'm here, it's okay," Leah spoke calmly, continuing to try and comfort you the best way she knew but she already knew it was going to be a long night ahead of them - An emotional night that would leave you drained tomorrow.

A vicious cycle of on a loop.

"Ready to tell me what's going on inside that head of yours, huh?" The blonde tried to carefully ask.

There was another brief pause of silence, nothing but the quiet sobs coming from you as the blonde continued to comfort you and reassure you that she was here and not leaving you.

To Leah's surprise, you did open up this time around, even if you didn't mean too.

"I should have realised. I should have... I should have realised," You made the mistake to speak aloud rather than think it like you thought you had.

"You should have realised what, kidda?" Leah questioned, confused about what you meant.

You snap your head in the blondes' direction as you bit your bottom lip, debating whether to be open with your thoughts that you tried so hard to keep buried inside.

"About my mum... I should have realised," You repeated your words as you fought the tears from spilling. "She's so... She's so-- Why does everything I tell her, why does it always get turned back around so it's about her?" That was it. You blurted out your own feelings - There was no hiding how you felt anymore.

Leah smiled sympathetically and moved onto the sofa to sit closer to you, wrapping her free arm around your shoulder to comfort you, "I... I don't know kidda," she spoke honestly.

"So many people, so many people have told me-- They've warned me about her but I have... I never wanted to listen," You confessed, the tears openly rolled down your cheeks and you probably looked a right blubbering mess but you couldn't stop your emotions pouring out. "And now... Now I finally realise how it's always been. Why is she like that, Le?" You asked.

"I can't say I know the answer to that one kidda, I wish I knew," Leah replied, exhaling a sigh as she couldn't fathem herself how a mother could be like that with her own child, she felt so much for the girl and always wished she could make the situation better for her. "Listen, I know it's hard but you've got us. All of us girls here at Arsenal and you're so loved by all of us." she told you.

"I... I just want her to love me, and she just... she doesn't even care about my feelings!" You stated, roughly wiping at your tear stained cheeks angrily to the point that you made them red. "Why does she always throw everything back in my face? Everything that I have ever done, she's always made it about her... Always!" you cried.

"I know, I know it hurts... I know it does," You kept your head buried in the blondes' chest as you hiccuped from the sudden breakdown in the middle of the night. "And I am sorry that you have to go through this. It's not fair on you kidda." Leah added, biting her bottom lip.

All of emotion had led you feeling exhausted in the end, you fought it hard to keep your eyes open as you lay slumped against the blonde woman.

"Come on let's get you back into bed, yeah? I mean you're almost falling asleep on me here, kidda," Leah joked with you, hoping for you to even crack a small smile as she gently moved you back to your bed and tucked you in under the duvet. "I'm so sorry you have had to deal with the kidda but you know you have a family here with us. We may not be blood but we really love you kidda." You heard the faint words spoken to you as you felt your eye lids close, completely warn out.

Sure, the Arsenal women weren't family by blood but instead they were family by choice and that was more important. They were there for you whenever you needed them and you knew you felt safe with them around. You truly felt happy with your chosen family.

[alotofpockets]

Serious about you | Leah Williamson x Lioness!Reader

Where you cross a line with your best friend

Warnings: smut (with a plot), 18+ MDNI

A/n: @scribblesofagoonerr thank you for your support throughout writing this one!

Woso masterlist | Words: 2.2k

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“Leah!” You yell out for your best friend when you see her walk through the doors of St. George’s Park for the first time since she had done her ACL. At the sound of your voice she turns around with a smirk on her face, “You’re happy I’m here, aren’t ya? Your day just got ten times better darling’.” You roll your eyes and hug her. 

“Always happy to see you, but the comeback makes it just a tad bit more special.” Leah’s smirk grew impossibly bigger. “Knew you thought I was special.” There was only so much of Leah’s flirty personality you could take at once until your body would go into panic mode, so you decided you had to step away. “Yeah, great seeing you, I gotta gay- go! I gotta go.” You quickly walk off cursing yourself, while Leah’s proud smile goes right past you.

Beth, who noticed the whole interaction, followed you out of the hall. “I see your crush on Leah is going well.” You sink into one of the chairs in the room. “Oh god, people saw that?” The blonde chuckles, “I think everyone saw you run off with a face like a tomato.” What a great start to camp you thought while your face was slowly returning to its regular colour.

“When are you just going to tell her about your feelings?” Beth was well aware of your feelings for the Lionesses Captain, as she was often the one you came to for advice and a listening ear. Her being your roommate this camp would probably come very handy for those reasons, besides Beth of course being a great friend of yours.

“You know I can't, Beth. Everybody knows Leah doesn't do serious relationships.” It was well known that Leah hadn’t had a serious relationship since Jordan, every girl she had seen since was just a meaningless hookup, so there really was no use in you ever confessing your feelings for her. 

Once you’ve come down from your embarrassing moment on the first day back at camp, you and Beth join the rest of the girls again. It was great seeing everyone again, and your embarrassment was soon forgotten.

The next morning the dining hall was buzzing with energy and laughter. Everyone was happy to be reunited, and was catching up on the time since they had last seen each other. Beth nudged your shoulder, “Look who’s coming over.” 

Your heart started racing as Leah walked in your direction with a beaming smile. Internally you were screaming at yourself, Leah was your best friend, you shouldn’t panic every time she’s near. It used to not be this bad, but ever since Leah started making flirty comments towards you, your brain just went full mush.

“Morning, love. Did you sleep well?” You tried to sound casual, but your mind went a little numb at the nickname she only used on you. “Morning, Lee. Yeah, I slept well. How about you?”

“I slept great. Any plans for today?” Oh god she wanted to have an even longer conversation, while you still had the love on your mind. You glance at Beth for help, but she just raises an eyebrow and smiles, clearly enjoying your discomfort. “Uhm well just training with the team and recovery after.”

Leah nods contently, “Alright sounds good. I’ll make sure we’re paired up for drills so we can catch up some more.” You smile and nod, “Looking forward to it.” Leah smiles and turns around to get her own breakfast. 

You turn back to Beth, “Looking forward to it? Why did I say that?” Beth rolls her eyes, “Well, clearly because you’re in love with the woman.” You groan, “Don’t say that out loud!” Beth laughs at your antics, “Relax, it’s just drills. Also, it’s just Leah.” With a huff you respond, “Yeah, just Leah. Mind telling my mind that when it stops working when she’s near?”

One thing about Leah was that when it concerned football, she was always serious. So, while you were running drills with her as your partner, the flirty side of Leah subsided. It wasn’t like she was only serious, you were still having fun while training. You were actually very much enjoying spending time with Leah like this, no embarrassing yourself this way.

Over the next couple of days the team was in full training mode, which came with plenty of recovery where you would relax with the girls. There were movie nights where Leah would sit besides you and put her arm around the back of the couch, and team walks where Leah would always find her way to your side. 

Tonight on the final day before your first match, you joined a few of the girls to recover in the hotel hot tub. You were deep in conversation with Beth and Lotte when Leah walked up to the hot tub, “Got room for one more?” She takes off her training top, leaving her in her sports bra and shorts like the rest of the girls. Only since Leah wasn’t like the rest of the girls to you, your eyes fell on her toned stomach, making you fully space out on the conversation you were having. 

“Earth to y/n.” Beth says loud enough for only you and Lotte to hear. You snap your eyes away from Leah at Beth poking your shoulder. “You’re drooling.” You want to defend yourself, but you know there is no use since she had seen you staring on full display. 

You tried your best to keep your eyes away from Leah, but each time you glanced over you were either faced with a smile or a smirk from the blonde, making your heart beat faster. On the other side of the hot tub, outside of your field of hearing Keira nudged Leah, “I think you might give her a heart attack if you keep flexing, mate.” Which only made Leah smirk again.

Slowly more and more of the girls started leaving the hot tub, until only you and Leah were left. She sat with her arms spread over the edge of the small pool, and you couldn’t help but let your eyes wander. You don’t know what came over you to check her out without anyone around the two of you to cause enough distraction for it to go unnoticed. 

“Are you just going to keep staring from the other side, or are you going to come join me?” Leah asked with glint behind her eyes that you couldn’t quite place. You move across the hot tub and sit down beside her. She moves her arm that was laying on the edge behind you to your shoulder and starts drawing patterns on it with her fingers.

You hadn’t said a word to Leah since the other girls left, and your eyes were focussed on a glimmer in the water. Leah was doing things to your body right now that you couldn’t control. “You had no problem checking me out when the girls were here, what has gotten you so shy now?” Your only reaction was the blush spreading over your cheeks and the way you swallowed hard. Leah moved her other arm to turn your head her way softly by your chin. She was about to say something, when she realised that you were staring at her lips.

Leah starts slowly leaning in, to give you enough time to stop what was about to happen. You didn’t make her stop, so she placed her lips gently on yours. When Leah realised you weren’t kissing her back, she quickly pulled away again. “Sorry, I thought there was a vibe.” That’s the moment you sprung to life. “There was, sorry.” Leah’s smile returned to her face, “There was?” You nod and lean in this time.

You knew you should stop, but this was the only way you would ever have Leah and besides every fibre in your body telling you that this was only going to end up hurting you, you just couldn’t stop. Before you knew it, you were sitting in Leah’s lap and the two of you were fully making out. 

When Leah’s hands started moving up your thighs, you broke the kiss and halted her. Leah was about to apologise, but you were quick to speak first, “It’s okay, just not here.” You said looking around. Even though the area was currently empty, it was still a public place, and you were not about to have a stranger or even worse one of your teammates walk in on you.

With big towels around your bodies, you made it to Leah’s room. Leah had never been happier to have a room to herself during camp, the perks of being the captain. Without missing a beat, she closes the door behind you and pushes you up against it. Every thought of this not being a good idea left your mind the moment she slotted her leg between yours.

Leah’s hands roamed your body, losing both your towels in the process. It all happened very fast, the next thing your remaining clothes were scattered around Leah’s room and you were laying in her bed. Leah was laying on top of you and kissing your neck, with her hands between your legs. 

The pleasure she was bringing you with simply her lips and her fingers, was overwhelming and perfect at the same time. At no point did you want her to stop, even telling her “More.” A couple of times between pants, which Leah happily obliged to. 

You didn’t realise you had fallen asleep until you woke up the next morning, still naked in Leah’s bed. At first you’re a little disoriented but then it all comes flooding back to you. You crossed a line with your best friend. Your best friend that you were in love with. Your best friend who is the captain of your team. 

Quickly but quietly you get out of bed and put on a clean training kit from Leah, since yours was still wet from carelessly being thrown on the floor last night. You take your own stuff with you and throw it in the laundry on your way back to your own hotel room.

“Well good morning to you, stranger.” You had hoped Beth had still been asleep and you could pretend that you had come in after she had gone to bed last night, but all of that was out the window now that she was looking at you with questions behind her eyes. You confess everything to Beth, who simply cheers you on for finally acting on your feelings. It doesn’t feel that way to you though, Leah didn’t know about your feelings, and knowing Leah this was just a one time thing. At least that was what you were telling yourself. 

Before you could talk about it more, you had to head to breakfast since you had an early bus to take for your first match. You didn’t get to talk to Leah, and quite honestly you were trying your best to ignore her for the time being. 

The first time you interacted with Leah was after the match when you had given your jersey to a fan in the strands. Leah had rushed to your side and handed you her jacket. You thanked her before bringing your focus back to the fans. 

On the bus ride back, you avoided Leah again, opting to sit next to Lotte instead of Leah or Beth. You didn’t know what you wanted, but talking about last night was definitely not it. Back at SGP everyone goes their own way again. You opt on staying with some of the girls in the lounge and put on a movie. About halfway into the movie Keira walks in, “Hey y/n, Leah wants to see you in the meeting hall.” 

You curse yourself, this was it. You had ruined your national career because you couldn’t stop yourself. Nervously you opened the door and found Leah leaning against one of the tables with her arms crossed. Her first words came as a surprise to you, “Why did you leave this morning?”

For a moment you don’t know what to say, standing in front of her with a slightly furrowed brow. “You wanted me to stay?” Leah’s serious expression softened, “Yes, of course I wanted you to stay.” You take a deep sigh, knowing you need to speak your mind. “Lee, last night was… amazing, but you don’t do serious relationships. I left because I didn’t want to make it awkward.”

Leah realises what you’re talking about. “Look, I know I’ve got a bit of a reputation concerning that, but this is different. I haven’t brought a girl home for months because you’ve been clouding my mind. I’m serious about you. Last night meant everything to me, and if it did for you too, I would really like to explore this new territory with you.”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing, Leah was feeling similar to how you were feeling about her? “It did mean everything to me too. I- sorry, I didn’t expect this, I am a bit at a loss for words.” Leah smiled and stepped towards you. “Maybe instead of using words, I can kiss you?” You nod and Leah crashes her lips on yours. 

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[lvnleah]

Rory meets AWFC.

Rory meets her Mummies teammates and gets a little anxious but soon meets a Lego loving friend.

find the Rory masterlist here

thank you to @scribblesofagoonerr for helping me write this! this may or may not feature a certain monkey…

August 24th 2023

“You okay, Roo?” Beth asked Rory as she packed a few bits into her backpack.

Rory had now been living with Beth and Viv for two months now, both of them had been given three weeks off from Arsenal to help them adjust and settle. They’d fallen into a nice routine with Rory and she was even more comfortable with them now, her little personality had truly begun to shine.

After the three weeks, they’d returned back to training. They were doing sessions in the gym with just them and Rory as everyone was away at either the World Cup or had time off.

Despite not being related to Beth biologically, she definitely had her bubbly and loud personality with Viv's shyness sprinkled in.

Today, Rory was going to training with them and meeting their friends for the first time. She’d already met both Viv and Beth’s family after spending a few weeks in the Netherlands with them and Myle. All of their family had fallen in love with the girl and by the end of the week she had them wrapped around her little finger.

Rory nodded her head shyly as Viv brushed her hair into a smooth ponytail, “Just a bit nervous.” Rory shrugged, holding Twix tight to her.

"You know," Viv said, finishing Rory’s ponytail before sitting beside her, "when I was your age, I was really nervous about going to new places too. But I always found that if I bought something familiar with me, like your bunny, it made me feel a lot better. I still get anxious too, Mummy will tell you.”

Rory looked up at Viv with a curious expression. "Really? You get anxious too?”

"Yeah I do," Viv nodded. "But you have me and Mummy with you, too. We'll make sure you feel safe and happy."

Beth joined them at the table, “We'll be with you the whole time, Roo. You can even play football if you want."

Rory's grip on her bunny tightened, but she nodded, taking a deep breath. "Okay.

Viv chuckled, “Why don’t we pack a few of your favourite things in your backpack?”

“Look, I’ve already packed your favourite snacks and some toys. You can bring them with you." Beth said, holding the bag open.

Rory peeked inside the backpack and smiled a little. "Thanks, Mummy."

Viv leaned down and kissed the top of Rory's head. "You're so brave, Rory. We'll make sure you have a good time."

Beth smiled, “You'll get to see where Mamma and I work and meet some of our friends. It'll be fun, I promise."

“Are they nice?” Rory asked.

“Super nice!” Beth reassured her, “They’re very funny too!”

Viv smirked, “Not as funny as Mamma though!”

Rory laughed, a smile spreading on her face, “No ones as funny as you, silly Mamma!”

Viv ruffled Rory's hair gently. "That's my girl. Now, finish your breakfast so we can get going.”

Once breakfast was done and the kitchen tidied, they gathered by the door. Viv helped Rory put on her tiny sneakers, while Beth checked her bag one last time. The anticipation in the room was palpable, a mix of excitement and nervous energy.

"Ready to go, Roo?" Beth asked, her voice gentle but encouraging.

Rory nodded, and held out her hand for Viv to take. "Ready!”

The drive to the training ground was filled with chatter and the hum of the car engine. Rory sat in the back seat, singing along to Taylor Swift with Viv like she had done for the past few weeks.

As they pulled up to the training centre, Rory’s nerves increased. Beth stepped out of the car and got her backpack whilst Viv unstrapped her.

“Mamma carry me?” Rory mumbled as she stepped out.

Viv smiled before lifting the four year old up, resting her on her hip. Rory buried her head in the crook of Viv’s neck, her arms wrapped tightly around her neck.

Beth rubbed her hand up and down Rory’s back, “You’ll be okay, Roo. I promise.” She said, placing a kiss on her temple.

They walked into the training centre, Beth leading the way and holding the door open for Viv and Rory. Steph and Jen were in the lobby and when they saw the trio approaching, they both smiled warmly.

Steph gasped, “Is this little miss Rory that I've heard so much about?”

Rory peeked out from her safe spot against Viv’s shoulder, her grip on Twix tightening. Her blonde eyebrows furrowed in confusion at Steph's accent before she started to giggle.

“What’re you giggling at, Roo?” Beth asked, tickling Rory’s stomach.

“Her accent!” Rory said just above a whisper as she giggled. “She sounds funny!”

“Have you heard of a place called Australia?” Steph asked, getting a nod from Rory, “Well that’s where I’m from! I sound different from your Mamma’s don’t I?”

Rory nodded, “You do!” Her eyes flicked over to Jen as she walked closer. Rory stared at her curiously, trying to figure out why the woman was so tall.

“I’m Jen! I sound weird too, eh?” Jen smiled, Rory shyly nodding as she hugged Viv tighter, “I like you Bunny! What’s their name?”

Rory looked at Jen and then back at Viv, who nodded encouragingly. “His name is Twix,” Rory whispered,

“Oh that’s so cool!” Jen smiled, “Do you like animals?”

“I love them!” Rory nodded, starting to warm up a little bit, “I love doggies!”

“You do?” Steph gasped, matching Rory’s excitement, “Do you want to meet the team dog, Win?”

Rory's eyes widened with excitement. "There's a dog here?" she asked, looking up at Viv with a mix of astonishment and eagerness.

Beth laughed softly, her heart melting at Rory's cuteness. "Yes, there is. Win is a very friendly dog and loves meeting new people."

Steph nodded enthusiastically. "Win is the therapy dog here, she helps us when we’re feeling down sometimes! She’s the unofficial team mascot."

"Can I see her now?" Rory asked, her shyness momentarily forgotten.

"Of course," Jen smiles, "Let's go find Win. She’s usually hanging out in the canteen area."

They made their way through the training centre, passing by a few players and staff who greeted Beth and Viv warmly. Rory clung to Viv but looked around with wide eyes, taking in everything.

As they entered the canteen area, a friendly chocolate labrador bounced over, tail wagging excitedly. Rory’s eyes lit up as Win approached and Viv set her down on the floor.

"Win, meet Rory," Steph said, sitting down to pet the dog on the floor. "Rory, this is Win."

Rory hesitated for a moment, looking up at Viv for reassurance. Viv nodded, smiling. "It's okay, Roo. Win is very gentle."

Slowly, Rory extended her hand, and Win sniffed it before giving it a friendly lick. Rory giggled, her nervousness melting away. "She likes me!" she exclaimed, petting Win’s soft fur.

"Can we bring Win home?" she asked, looking up at Beth and Viv with hopeful eyes.

Beth chuckled, shaking her head. "Win has to stay here and help the team, Roo. But maybe we can think about getting a doggy soon though!”

"Okay," Rory agreed, still smiling. "Can I show her my bunny?"

"Of course," Viv said. "I'm sure Win would love to meet Twix."

Rory held out Twix to Win, who sniffed the bunny curiously before giving it a gentle lick. Rory giggled again, delighted by the interaction.

"Win likes Twix too!" she smiled, hugging her bunny tightly.

Beth knelt down beside her. "See? There’s nothing to be nervous about. You’re doing great, Roo."

“Oh wow it’s a party in here!” Lotte laughed as she entered the canteen, “Win’s enjoying the attention I see.”

Rory looked up, her smile growing once she saw Lotte, “Lot! Hi, I missed you!”

Rory abandoned Winnie and immediately ran over to the English girl, hugging her legs. Rory had already met Lotte, as well as Vic and Laura, a few weeks after she moved in with Viv and Beth due to them being close friends who were always around.

She was shy at first but once Lotte was laying on the floor with her playing and Vic and Laura were sneaking her sweets she was their best friend.

“Hello, Rory,” Lotte said gently, crouching down to Rory’s level, “I missed you too! How’re you liking the training centre so far?”

Rory smiled and nodded, “I like it! I love Win though!”

Lotte gasped playfully, “Win’s the best isn’t she!”

Viv checked the time on her phone, “C’mon Roo, me and Mummy need to go get changed.”

Rory huffed, “I’m bored, Mamma!”

“It won’t take two seconds, Roo,” Beth said, “Then we can get you set up with some colouring!”

“I don’t mind sitting with her while you get changed,” Lotte offered, “Only if Roo doesn’t mind.”

Beth looked down at Rory, “What do you think, Roo? Want to stay with Lotte while me and Mamma get changed? It’ll only be for a couple minutes.”

Rory thought for a second, her eyes wandering around the now empty room that Steph and Jen had left to go and warm up, “Yeah…you come back?”

“Oh of course we will, Roo!” Viv said, crouching down to the girls height, “Me and Mummy will be a few minutes, you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. You can come with me.”

Rory shook her head before talking Lotte’s hand, “I colour with Lotte!”

“Okay then,” Beth laughed, “We’ll be two minutes, okay? If you need us you can always come get me and Mamma.”

“Okay, Mummy,” Rory nodded, squeezing Lotte's hand tighter.

Viv and Beth headed off to the changing rooms, leaving Rory with Lotte. Lotte led her to a nearby table and got some colouring out of Rory’s backpack. Rory quickly got to work, her tongue poking out in concentration as she colored a picture of a butterfly.

“You’re really good at coloring, Rory!” Lotte said, smiling as she watched the little girl.

“Thank you!” Rory beamed, her shyness slowly melting away.

Just then, the door to the canteen burst open, and Katie stormed in, loudly announcing her arrival, "Guess who's back, back again! Kat—"

Her voice trailed off as she noticed Rory, who had jumped at the sudden noise, clutching her crayons tightly and looking wide-eyed at Katie.

Katie's eyes widened in horror at scaring the child. "Shit, I'm so sorry, kid!" she said, rushing over but lowering her voice. “I didn’t mean to scare you, kiddo. I’m Katie.”

Rory’s lower lip began to tremble, and her eyes welled up with tears. “I-I want Mummy and Mamma,” she whimpered, looking at Lotte.

Lotte immediately wrapped an arm around Rory. “It’s okay, Rory. Mummy and Mamma will be right back. Katie didn’t mean to scare you.”

But Rory’s tears began to fall, and she clutched Twix tightly to her chest. “I want Mumma and Mummy!” she cried, the distress in her voice clear.

At that moment, Beth and Viv hurried back into the room, having heard Rory's cries. Beth quickly scooped Rory into her arms, holding her close. “It’s okay, Roo. Mummy’s here.”

Viv knelt beside them, gently stroking Rory’s back. “What happened, Mijn liefje?”

Rory sniffled, burying her face in Beth’s shoulder. “She scared me,” she mumbled.

Beth rocked Rory gently, trying to soothe her. “Katie didn’t mean to scare you, Roo. It was just a mistake.”

Katie stepped closer, her expression full of regret. “I’m really sorry, kiddo. I didn’t know you were here.”

Katie exchanged a nervous look with Viv, “Viv, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know she was in here, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay, Katie,” Beth reassured her with a nod, “She’s just a bit anxious today, that’s all.”

“I’m so sorry,” she apologised once again, “I’ll leave you too it, I’m sorry kid!”

After a few minutes of Beth and Viv calming Rory down and cuddling her, Leah came through the door. Her eyes softened at the little sniffles coming from Rory, her cheeks still tear stained.

Leah calmly walked over and crouched down beside Beth who had Rory cuddled into her chest, “Hey! I’m Leah, are you little Rory who I’ve heard all about?”

Rory nodded her head against Beth’s chest, “Well it’s nice to meet you, Rory!” Leah smiled, “I bet I know what cheers you up when you’re upset…cake!”

Rory’s eyes widened at the mention of cake, “Cake?!” She asked, lifting her head from Beth’s chest.

Beth gasped, matching Rory’s enthusiasm, “Oh cake, that sounds nice doesn’t it! Why doesn’t Leah show you where to get some?”

Rory hesitated before nodding her head and jumping off of Beth’s lap. She took Leah’s hand and walked over to the canteen kitchen, Leah helped her pick out her cake before walking back to Beth and Viv.

“Chocolate cake!” Viv smiled, “Wow Roo, isn’t that good!” Rory nodded her head, a smile spread across her face.

“Where’s Monkey?” Beth asked, “Is she off causing trouble again?”

“No she was right…behind me,” Leah trailed off, looking around for the teenager, “I bet she’s causing mischief with Kyra!”

“That isn’t a surprise at all,” Viv laughed and shook her head.

Viv carried Rory into the gym whilst Beth had a quick session with the physio’s. She sat down on the bench in the corner, Rory facing her with her head pressed against her chest.

“Viv! You’re back!” A voice shouted aloud where Viv was sitting in the gym with Rory in her lap, “I’ve missed you round here– Leah’s being bossy as ever, ruining my fun, the complete buzz-kill that she is!”

“Hi Monkey,” Viv waved in agreement with the girl, “Glad to hear that you are up to your usual chaos.” She remarked, sarcastically.

“I’m not even doing anything that bad, everyone is just making a huge big deal out of it for no reason! Oh! Maybe now you’re here you can steer Leah to be in agreement that it would be a great idea for me to try sky-diving!” Monkey continued to ramble in Viv’s ear, which Rory couldn’t help but find funny as she listened to the girl natter on, “Oh! Who’s this?” She wondered, curiously.

“Monkey, this is Rory, mine and Beth’s daughter… And Roo, this is Monkey” Viv smiled before leaning down to Rory’s ear, “she’s the biggest kid around here,” she whispered but loud enough for Monkey to hear.

Monkey gasped, “Whoa, I take offence to that, you know! It’s actually Katie– Hi, it’s nice to meet you, Rory. I’m Monkey!”

Rory lifted her head from Viv’s chest, “You’re funny!”

“Thank you very much– Whoa, I like your bunny. Does it have a special name?” Monkey asked, crouching down to Rory’s level on Viv’s lap.

Rory nodded, “Mhm, it’s Twix!” She smiled, holding out the stuffed bunny so the girl could see.

Monkey gasped once again, “No way? Twix, that’s such a cool name! Oooh, do you like Lego?”

“Uh huh!” Rory nodded, her shyness being forgotten once again.

“Cool, do you want to go and build something? I’m meant to be training, but I don’t think anyone will care if I’m there or not.” Monkey shrugged, Viv laughed at how chilled the girl was.

Rory’s smile grew as she nodded her head and slipped off Viv’s lap, “Yeah!”

“So, how old are you, Rory?” Monkey asked as they began to walk over to her Lego corner in the gym.

“I’m 4!” Rory declared proudly, holding up four fingers.

“Wow, 4? That is such a cool age– You can definitely get away with a lot at that age!”

“I thought I heard your voice,” Beth joked as she entered the gym, “Don’t be leading her astray!”

“Would I ever? She’s adorable– We’re gonna build Lego together!” Monkey replied innocently.

“You’re aware that Leah is looking for you, right?” Beth questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“I didn’t do anything I wasn't meant to do!” Monkey protested.

“That definitely means that you did then…” Viv smiled, shaking her head with a knowing smile.

“Monkey!” Leah shouted aloud, trying to find the teenager.

“Uh, damn. I’m not here– Quick, hide me under the table or somethin’.” Monkey whispered to Rory, her eyes darting around for a hiding spot.

“I like her, she’s funny, Mummy!” Rory said, turning to look at Beth with a smile.

Beth couldn't help but smile at Rory's delight. "Yes, she is funny, but we have to make sure she stays out of trouble, right?"

"Right!" Rory agreed enthusiastically.

Just then, Leah entered the gym, her eyes narrowing playfully at Monkey. "There you are! What have you been up to now?"

Monkey put on her most innocent face. "Nothing, I swear! Just showing my new friend my Lego collection!”

Leah shook her head with a laugh. “C’mon, you need to actually train and not muck about.”

Monkey groaned, “Just give me five more minutes! Please, I want to do a bit of Lego!”

“You and your bloody Lego obsession!” Leah sighed, “Fine! Half an hour and then you need to train, deal?”

“Deal!” Monkey smiled, “What do you want to build, Roo?” Monkey asked as they sat down on the floor.

“Umm, I wanna build a castle!” Rory exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

Monkey grinned, rummaging through the box of Lego bricks. “A castle?! That’s the best plan ever!”

Beth and Viv exchanged a glance, smiling at how quickly Rory had taken to Monkey. Beth knelt down beside them. “Me and Mamma need to train, we’ll just be over there okay?”

Rory nodded. “Okay, Mummy! We’re gonna make the best castle ever, right Monkey?”

“Absolutely, kid!” Monkey agreed, handing Rory a handful of colourful bricks. “So who have you met so far?”

"Um, Steph and Jen. They both have funny accents," Rory giggled, concentrating as she arranged the bricks into a small tower. "Also, Lotte and Katie… But Katie yelled loudly and it scared me!"

"She did?" Monkey replied with a sympathetic smile. "That’s just how Katie is, but I’m sorry she scared you, Roo. You met Leah as well, right?"

Rory nodded, smiling as she concentrated on building Lego, "Uh-huh! She’s nice and she helped me get chocolate cake! I like her!"

"Aw, whoa. Chocolate cake? I want some too!” Monkey gasped, “Maybe you’ll have to show me where you found it,"

"Yeah!" Rory exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

"Want to know a secret?" Monkey whispered, leaning in. "Leah is who I live with. She is nice, but she can also be pretty bossy sometimes."

"You do? Whoa, so cool!" Rory's eyes widened in amazement.

"Yeah, her and my favourite little buddy," Monkey continued with a little laugh.

"Who’s dat?" Rory asked, handing a brick to Monkey.

"Buddy? That’s Leah’s daughter, and Jordan’s too. I don’t know if you have met her yet, but she’s cool.” Monkey smiled, “Buddy is actually a few years younger than you, but I bet when you two meet, you’ll be best friends!"

"Is she funny like you?" Rory asked, her excitement growing.

Monkey nodded, "She’s a little sweetheart, really. I can’t wait for you to meet her!"

"I want to meet her too!" Rory said, grinning widely as she bounced on her knees.

“I’m sure your Mamma and Mummy can sort something out!” Monkey suggested, “Buddy comes here sometimes so you’ll probably get to meet her!”

It wasn’t long before the castle stood tall and impressive, complete with towers. Rory looked at it with wide eyes, clearly proud of their creation.

“Look, Mummy! Look, Mamma!” Rory called out, waving them over. “We did it! We built a castle!”

Beth and Viv walked over, “Wow, that’s amazing, Roo! You and Monkey did a fantastic job,” Viv smiled.

Monkey nodded, pretending to wipe sweat from her brow. “Phew, that was hard work, but totally worth it.”

“Can we take a picture?” Rory asked, looking up at Beth with hopeful eyes.

“Of course we can,” Beth replied, pulling out her phone. “Gather around the castle!”

Monkey proudly held up the Lego castle proudly while Rory stood beside her, smiling. Beth snapped a few photos, capturing the moment.

As the day went on, Rory continued to explore the training centre, meeting more of the team and even joining in with passing the ball. By the time they were ready to leave, she was buzzing with excitement and full of stories to tell.

“Did you have fun today, Roo?” Viv asked as they buckled her into her car seat for the drive home.

Rory nodded. “Yes! I made lots of new friends, and we built a castle, and I met Win, and… and it was the best day ever!”

Beth smiled, leaning over to kiss Rory’s forehead. “I’m so glad you had fun, Roo!”

As they drove home, Rory’s chatter eventually quieted, her eyes growing heavy with sleep. By the time they pulled into their driveway, she was fast asleep, clutching Twix tightly in her arms.

Viv gently lifted her out of the car, carrying her inside and laying her down in her bed for a nap. Beth tucked her in, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“Have a good nap, Roo,” Beth whispered, smiling softly. “We love you so much.”

Rory stirred slightly, a sleepy smile on her face. “Love you too, Mummy… Mamma…” she murmured before drifting back into a peaceful sleep.