One week later

Abby shakes her head.

She has dark circles under her eyes, and coming inside the locker room with only Steph being here just doesn't help : the brunette has not talked to her in a full week, avoiding her all the time at any moment, always finding excuses.

The blonde, who is fed up with missing someone that is on the same campus than she is, knows Steph needed to take her distances because it happened before. But now, she is just over it and being treated this way for no reason.

So she grabs Steph's arm, forcing her to turn around and face her.

"Talk. Now."

Even though Steph usually like when the blonde is bossy, she starts frowning : the anger and exhaustion in her girlfriend's voice makes her want to apologize right away but she knows she can't.

Abby can't always win that way.

Keeping in mind the fact that the blonde hid something very important away from Steph for quite some time now, the brunette stands still, looking at her in a vicious way. Abby sighs, before saying :

"Sure, continue acting like a jerk, it'll make things so much better !"

"Maybe if you told me the truth in the first place we could've avoided that stupid argument, Abigail"

This time, the defender is confused.

"You never use my full name. What's going on ?"

"You tell me."

"Steph-"

"Seems like I picked up your phone the other day, and a guy from Manchester City asked me when I was singing the freaking contract." the forward spits out, angrier than ever.

Abby's face immediately changes. She sighs, before sitting down on the bench, as the brunette remains standing, arms against her chest.

The defender shakes her head.

"You've always dreamed about playing in England" Abby whispers.

Steph frowns.

"What ?"

"I wanted to keep it a surprise until after the game, but you being a jerk ruined everything" the blonde says in a harsh voice, looking away from the brunette. As Steph is about to respond to that, Abby raises her hand and looks up. Her eyes are teary. "You know I couldn't leave to Europe without you."

"W-wait, what ?"

"Manchester City was interested in both of us."

"Oh."

HOLY HELL WHY AM I SO STUPID ? I SHOULD GET ARRESTED FOR BEING SUCH A JERK TO THE PERSON I LOVE THE MOST ON THIS EARTH. WHAT A STUPID FREAKING BITCH I AM, FUCK, FUCK, FOR FUCKS SAKE, STEPHANIE !

Steph looks down, as Abby is going back to where her jersey is. Right after that, their teammates enter the locker room, and the forward acts as if nothing happened. But inside of her head, everything has been burnt down.

SHIT.

*

1,2,3

TEAM

The girls run to their positions, and the game goes underway.

"Come on girls ! We can do this !" Julie yells from the back line.

On the stands, the former Bruins and Cardinals, as well as the actual Stanford team, who went to won the third-place game, are cheering for them.

Less than three minutes later, UCLA responded.

The fight then when on, wilder than ever.

When the second half begins, things however did change. And then game took another turn :

Ouch.

Down 4-1 in the beginning of the second half, the team never thought it could get worse. But when Jane receives cleats in the stomach from Dani Weatherholt from PSU, things actually get worse.

While the referee is showing Weatherholt a red card, Julie and Megan immediately run toward Jane, who is on the ground, screaming because of the pain. When the medical help comes, it is said that she can't continue.

Hydration break is called, as Madalyn Schiffel is about to come on to replace her.

"I'm going with Jane in the hospital" Hao says as the team is gathered in a huddle. She then stares at her players, before spotting Kristie. "Captain, you're in charge. Becky will replace me, so y'all sort things out. Jane's safety comes first, but damn girls, we have what it takes to do a freaking remontada right now !"

There is a collective laugh, as Hao leaves in the ambulance. Becky, who has entered the huddle, looks at her former teammates, a proud smile on her lips.

"We're gonna make substitutions, and I want you Lindsey to get in the attack more. We have nothing to lose. Ready ?"

"YES"

The game starts again, with a rookie keeper and a big sense of courage from the UCLA players. They know what's at sake.

So they slay.

Substitution in the 78' minute, Daly (out) -> Sanchez (in)

One more goal and we're going in extra-time.

That is the thought going through everybody's mind. Mads is making huge saves, directed by Kelsey from the stands, while the team is pushed by the huge crowd here to encourage them. They are pumped up.

One more goal.

4-3, it can't stay like this. Steph is running like a mad woman after a clearance from Mads that reached the midfield. She dribbles one defender, a second, and then a third, before spotting Abby, who made a run nobody knew she was capable of, who is on her right.

She makes the pass, and Abby makes a brilliant bicycle kick that ends up on the back of the net : the crowd explodes, as Steph runs toward the blonde.

Steph hugs her the tighter she can, whispering in her ear :

"I'm in."

"W-what ?"

"I'm coming to Manchester with you, baby girl."

Abby bursts into tears, but the team doesn't have much time to celebrate because they're running out of time.

Then, the impossible happens.

Kristie takes a shot from 30-yards-out, and it hits the crossbar, before getting inside of the goal.

HOLY FUCK WE WON, is Mal's first thought when she hears the final whistle. Everybody on the team run toward the collective hug already taking place in the defense, while the PSU players are looking at each other.

WE WON.