Tales of the Tournaments

SheBelieves 2023, Exploria Stadium, Orlando

USWNT 2 - 0 CANWNT

The final whistle had blown and the crowd was jubilant.

The teams were less so. Oh - there was plenty for the Americans to celebrate. This was Alex Morgan's 200th cap celebration (even though her 200th cap had been a while ago) after all.

Mallory Swanson, nee Pugh, had played her fourth straight match and scored her fourth and fifth straight goals - the only goals of the match, indeed.

But the Canadians were...not shattered, they expected such a result against their best friends, their arch-nemeses, their sisters in arms.

They were tired. 

They were tired of their Federation denying them pay, denying them equal rights. They were grateful that their American sisters stood up in solidarity with them, but knowing that they were only playing this tournament under threat of a lawsuit - a lawsuit that, thanks to no pay, they couldn't afford - that made them tired.

So when Canadian captain Christine Sinclair led her team off the field and reluctantly made her way to meet the reporters, she was irritated to find her former Portland Thorns teammate following her.

Lindsey Michelle Horan.

Lindsey, who she treated as a kid sister, who was Carli's protegee, who had inherited Carli's number ten and even managed to earn the national captain's armband a few times. 

She was glad to see Lindsey, would have welcomed her under any other circumstances. But now, on her way to meet what Lindsey herself had so accurately termed 'the vultures', tired as she was, Sinc did not have time for Lindsey's boundless energy. 

Not to mention the 'how do you feel about Horan winning' the vultures would be sure to spin it as.

"Stop following me," Sinc ground out tersely, through a forced smile.

Lindsey dropped back a step. "But Sinc..."

"Go back to your team."

"Captain..."

"Now."

"Sinc.."

"Don't you have a twin to congratulate?"

Thank fuck it was the right thing to say. Lindsey wheeled around and was off for the tunnel, going to find Mal.

She did it she did it she did it, Lindsey caroled in her head as she skipped down the tunnel. A brace of goals and it was all Mal's, and she practically won it all by herself,

When she got back to the American side, Lindsey scanned the assembled girls. Her heart sank.

Mal wasn't there.

Becky came and put an arm around Lindsey, giving her a sympathetic squeeze. "Mal's answering questions, Linds."

Oh. Of course. They want Mal because she scored both our goals. Lindsey tried not to pout at that, feeling that Sinc should have known that.

Probably Sinc did know that, and just wanted a reason to make her go away. The thought made Lindsey feel even worse.

Not to mention, pissed off with Sinc.

Well, if Sinc was going to be pissed off anyway, and Sinc was going to make her pissed off, there was only one thing for her to do.

Lindsey crossed from the American side of the tunnel to the Canadian side and knocked on the door.

It was opened by Jessie Fleming.

The Canadian took one look at Lindsey and scrambled back out of the way. "I thought you were Sinc for a second."

"Nope."

"Thank fuck," Jessie mumbled as she let Lindsey pass her. 

"If I was I'd have you in the corner for that yellow card."

"If you were, you'd have her over your knee for that yellow card." Janine Beckie, Lindsey's fellow (former?) Portland Thorn said dryly.

Lindsey sat down next to Janine. "Is Sinc going to, do you think?"

Janine raised an eyebrow. "When has Sinc ever not?"

Lindsey shrugged. "I always felt like at club level it was one thing, at this level it was more like 'you've shamed your Federation' and in this case, well, who the fuck cares?"

"Hmm," Janine mused, frowning slightly.

"I care, for one thing."

Lindsey, Janine, and Jessie all jumped slightly, looking at the door.

"Horan, when I tell you to stop following me, I don't mean come in here and bother my team."

Lindsey winced. "But Sinc, I wasn't--"

The Canadian captain shook her head, shutting Lindsey's protest off. "Let me guess, you came in here for Jessie."

"Yes," Lindsey said quietly. "And because I missed you. Missed this."

Sinc's eyebrows practically met her hairline. "Missed what, waiting for your turn over my knee, Horan?"

"I..." Lindsey shrugged. "Maybe?" she tried, with a sniffle.

Sinc sighed in exasperation. "You've been bratting at me to pester me into spanking you? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means Horan's insane," Janine said dryly, rolling her eyes.

"No it doesn't," Shelina Zadorsky put in, overhearing the conversation. She came up and gave Lindsey a gentle squeeze. "You miss Carli, don't you, little one?"

Lindsey nodded, sniffling to keep back frustrated tears as Shelina petted her hair.

"And you know Carli would've taken you in hand for the nonsense you got up to in Lyon, with Ellie and Vanessa--" She turned to look at Vanessa Gilles.

"Which was not my fault," Jessie mumbled. 

"This time," Sinc retorted, looking at Gilles, who blushed under the older women's regard.

"I apologised," Vanessa said weakly, sighing. "And I'm grounded. What more do you want from me, Lina?"

Shelina shook her head. "Point being, Lindsey, you know what you would have expected if you were coming home to Carli, but you didn't."

"And Sinc's the other captain you've had in your life back here at home for so long," Janine realized. "Oh."

"Oh," Shelina agreed, nodding. "So that's it, isn't it, Lindsey? You need Sinc to take you in hand and paddle you, like she would have if you were still a Thorn."

"I am still a Thorn, it's just a loan," Lindsey said quietly.

Sinc nodded.  "Okay."

"Okay?" Lindsey echoed, turning to look at Sinc.

"That's what I said," Sinc agreed. "You and Jessie, go get it. You know where it is."

Swallowing nervously, Lindsey got up and walked with Jessie into the room where the ice baths were. On the wall, hanging up where the Orlando Pride's team paddle usually was (or where it would be, if they were on the side the Americans were using), was the Canadian paddle.

Or...

Lindsey blinked and looked again.

No, it wasn't at all. It was the Portland team paddle, which Sinc usually kept with her as team captain. The instrument of official Canadian displeasure was nowhere to be seen.

"What did she do, burn it?" Lindsey asked Jessie, who shrugged.

"Maybe. I'm not going to question Sinc on it. Besides, it doesn't make any difference." 

They were the same round shape, the same thickness; the only distinguishing mark was the team emblem painted on one side and engraved on the other, and the engraved side wouldn't be seeing use, not for yellow cards.

Lindsey was halfway back with Jessie, the implement held tight in Lindsey's hand, before the American remembered that her behavior had been a red card level offense by both Renard and Carli's estimation.

 Lindsey's stomach twisted.

It was too late to back out now.

She brought the Portland paddle to Sinc, then hastily stepped back as Sinc beckoned Jessie forward.

The Canadian midfielder swallowed, letting Sinc position her over the captain's thigh. She hadn't had time to get changed before Sinc came back, and so she found herself summarily bared, shorts, underwear and support pulled down before Sinc's hand landed for the first time.

Ow fuck that hurt, Jessie thought, biting down on the urge to cry as Sinc continued to spank her. The paddle hadn't even been introduced yet, and she felt like she ought to save her tears for that. It would be bad enough.

Sure enough, after a dozen or so smacks, Christine switched to the smooth side of the paddle, and Jessie clung tighter to Sinc's leg. "Ow...sorry, sorry Sinc, won't, not again!" she promised hastily, voice quivering.

Sinc's left hand rested on her back as the last four smacks connected with Jessie's sit spots. Then, she was back on her feet, flinging herself into Sinc's arms.

"Sorry, sorry Cap," she babbled, yelping as Sinc pulled her clothes back up for her. "I swear I won't..."

"Don't make me promises you can't keep, Fleming," Sinc said, rubbing her back gently. "It's alright, good girl, breathe for me."

Slowly, Jessie did. When she was calm, she stepped back from Sinc's arms, wide-eyed.

That had been bad enough, but it was only a yellow card.

She was well aware of what Gilles had done, and the punishment she, Horan, and Carpenter had taken in Lyon for it.

If Horan had asked Sinc for that...

Jessie backed away, not wanting to be in the line of fire of that. Vanessa Gilles, however, moved to stand by Lindsey.

"Cap, you just said I was grounded," she reminded Sinc nervously. "It was my fault to begin with anyway, if Lindsey and Ellie hadn't--"

"That's enough Gilles."

"Yes ma'am."

"Just so we're clear," Christine said, placing the paddle on the bench and her hands on Lindsey's shoulders. "Why am I going to paddle you, Lindsey?"

Lindsey swallowed. "B-because I need it, if Mummy was here but she's not, and if Renard hadn't but she did, and if it had been you, you would have, and if your federation wasn't being such...well, you know...then you would have got lots more practice and you might've beaten us anyway and--"

"Hold it."

Lindsey shut up, turning wary eyes on Sinc.

"Is that what this is about? You feel guilty because Canada Soccer is being how they're being, and we haven't been able to train properly or do much of anything, so you think this game was a fluke and you deserve to be punished for a win you didn't earn?"

Lindsey gave a tiny nod.

"Fuck's sake," Christine sighed in exasperation.

"Sorry," Lindsey said meekly.

Sinc pulled her into a hug. "Okay, little one, it's not your fault," she said soothingly. "I don't blame you. We're so grateful to have your team's support for everything. But if you need this from me to feel better, I will. I'm not going to make it a red card spanking, though. That isn't what this is about."

"Sorry for making it like it was," Lindsey offered, and Sinc nodded, running a hand over Lindsey's hair.

"I know you are. I think I have a little Lindsey with me now, don't I?" she guessed, and Lindsey sucked on her lip, nodding shyly. "That's what Auntie thought, sweetie. Let's get you over Auntie's lap and we'll do this the right way." 

"kay, Auntie Sinclair," Lindsey said, as Sinc sat down on the bench. She let Sinc bare her and tug her down into position, resting across Sinc's thighs. Janine slid over, cradling Lindsey's upper torso in her lap.

"Just hold on to me, Linds," Janine offered, and Lindsey obeyed, clinging to Janine as Sinc began her smacking. The swats weren't as hard as the ones Jessie had been given, but she stayed over Christine's lap longer, squirming a little as Christine smacked her sit spots and undercurve. Overall, Lindsey was already tearful and sniffling, though not sobbing, by the time her warmup was finished.

"Give it here, Janine."

Beckie gave Sinc a wary look, but handed the Portland paddle over, holding tight to Lindsey as Sinc swatted down twice to each bottom cheek with the smooth side, and once, far more lightly, to each with the etched side. It wouldn't leave a mark, it was more of a symbolic gesture really, but it was just enough for Lindsey to feel the texture of the Portland emblem on her skin.

Lindsey burst into tears, and Sinc scooped her up, pulling her clothes back into place.

"Okay kiddo, shhh, Auntie's gotcha, good girl," Sinc hummed, holding the blonde midfielder as Lindsey cried on her shoulder. "It's okay, you're still in one piece, promise."

Lindsey calmed down in Sinc's embrace as the older woman petted her hair and soothed her, and sniffled. "S-sorry was bad, Auntie Sinclair." 

"I know you are, and it's alright sweetheart, all done now," Sinc promised. "All forgiven."

"D-do you still want me back at Portland?"

Sinc's arms tightened around her younger teammate protectively. "Of course we still want you back at Portland. Don't worry little one, I think Brunn would commit murder if we let you go. You have a home to come back to, promise."

Lindsey let out a tearful giggle. "Okay."

When Sinc finally let her go, Lindsey hugged Jessie and Vanessa tight. The Canadians returned Lindsey's enthusiastic embrace, sighing in relief. At least she'd only been given what she wanted and needed, no more than that. 

Sinc was firm but fair - she was good like that. And it made sense Lindsey would reach out to her in the current situation.

Luckily for all their sanity, it was only a few more moments before Lindsey recovered her composure. "Sorry, Jessie, Vanessa," she said with a blush.

"It's not like we didn't know," Vanessa replied, squeezing her hand. "If you have to be little with anyone, at least it's us and not someone who wouldn't understand."

"Yeah," Lindsey exhaled, nodding. "I guess...I guess I should go back to my side before Alex and Brunn tear up Exploria looking for me."

"Probably." Jessie gave her a little smile. "Thanks for sticking with us, Lindsey. All of you, I mean."

Lindsey nodded. "Of course we did. We will. Always."

"Good," Sinc said quietly. "Now, go pester Morgan for a change." 

Lindsey smiled, going to hug Sinc in farewell. "Alright. Love you."

"Love you too, kiddo." Sinc watched Lindsey leave, shaking her head. "Brat."

"You love her anyway," Quinn put in their two cents, smirking.

"I did just say so," Sinc rolled her eyes. "Get dressed, brat." 

"You love me." Quinn pulled their shirt over their head, then went back to minding their own business.