Tales of the Tournaments

"Sofia? Sofia!" Alyssa called softly, unsure where to find her as she slipped through the parking lot, making her way along the wall toward the training quarters. 

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

Alyssa yelped as she was grabbed by the back of her jersey, pulled up short. "What do we have here?" the tall, brunette Swede demanded, picking Alyssa up and setting her down on top of the low brick wall. She knelt, enveloping Alyssa's shoulders with her gloved hands, and meeting the teen's eyes. "What do we have here?" she repeated. "A little spy?"

"Uh uh," AT shook her head quickly, eyes widening even more with fear. "I...I just want my big sister, my storasyster. Please."

"What's your name, little one?" The keeper changed tactics, since it was clear she wasn't going to get more of an explanation than that. But, the kid was wearing an Angel City FC t-shirt under her USWNT jersey, and flannel pj bottoms - in midwinter, she thought with an eyeroll. She must be freezing. 

"My name's Jennifer," she decided to go first, trying to present a friendlier front to the girl, though she still wasn't planning on letting her go. "Who's your big sister, then, if you won't give me your name?"

"Sofia," Alyssa whispered. "My...my name's Alyssa."

Jennifer nodded. "What did you do, run away in the middle of the night?" She surveyed the kid's - Alyssa's - bag, dropped to the ground when Jennifer had grabbed her, and saw the antler of a plush reindeer sticking out. "Decided to get out of bed, pack your favorite toy and take off?"

Alyssa blushed hotly. "I...I want my Captain Tia," she sniffled. "But, but she's going away, and Sofia was closer to get to." 

"Okay, Alyssa, you're coming with me right now," Jennifer said firmly. "We're going to see the Captains, and we'll get you Sofia. But you can't be rewarded for running away."

Alyssa swallowed hard, dragging her feet as Jennifer led her into the training facility. Sofia was lifting weights when they entered the gym, but she set them down, getting to her feet the second she spotted Alyssa.

"Lillasyster, what are you doing here?" She crossed the room and pulled AT into her arms, hugging her tightly. "You shouldn't be here!"

"Captain Tia's going away and I need to go to her."

Sofia blinked twice. "You can't get to Dunedin by yourself," she said slowly.

"But if I was with someone else it would be faster," AT appealed, and behind AT, Jennifer buried her face in her gloved hands.

"Little idiot," she muttered in Swedish.

"I'm getting the Captains," Jennifer said evenly. "Sofia, can I leave her here with you for ten minutes, and you'll both still be right here when I get back?"

Sofia hugged Alyssa to her tightly. "Jenna...the Captains, they aren't going to--"

"They'll talk to hers before anything happens," Jennifer said quietly. "You know we wouldn't do anything to a kid who's not ours, not without permission."

Sofia nodded. "We'll be here when you come back."

When Jennifer had gone, Sofia led AT to the bench at the side of the gym, sitting down with the teen in her lap. AT's bag sat on the bench next to them, and Alyssa pulled Lavender out of her bag, hugging the reindeer plush close.

"S-Sofia...the Captains...they're gonna be mad, aren't they? Yours and mine?" she asked in a small voice, curling up in the Swede's lap as Sofia rocked her gently.

"They're not going to be happy, lillasyster. I imagine Alex and Lindsey are already turning their team space upside down looking for you. They probably have all the girls up, and maybe Vlatko by now."

AT winced. "Oh," she whispered. "I didn't mean to upset anyone, just...just...Captain Tia's going."

"And you thought about running away to Dunedin to try and...what? Convince her to stay?" Sofia asked, raising her eyebrows. "Alyssa, that's all the way at the end of the South Island. You'd have to cross practically all of New Zealand to get to her. You'd be gone for three hours or more just trying to take the ferry between islands, not to mention how long it would take to travel across all of that by train. Unless you thought you could just get on a plane and go wherever?"

AT shook her head miserably. "I just...didn't think."

"That much is obvious."

AT buried her face in Sofia's shoulder as a new voice entered the conversation. Sofia didn't look up, keeping her attention on Alyssa. "Sorry imsorry...." the teen was whimpering already, and Sofia gave her a gentle squeeze. 

"Come on, sit up. Caro's come to talk to us."

Slowly, Alyssa uncurled herself, and raised her eyes to meet the stern gaze of Caroline Seger.

The Swedish captain stood tall in front of them, arms folded across her chest, glaring down at Alyssa like an offended Norse deity. 

AT cringed back into Sofia's arms, trying to make herself as small as possible.

"Please, please, I didn't mean to be bad, I just want my Tia, I don't want Captain Tia to go away," AT babbled, and Caro's gaze softened the slightest bit. She looked less like a wrathful goddess, and more like a disappointed mother, as she leaned in and took Alyssa's hand, looking intently at the girl.

"We understand you don't want your Captain Tia to go away, Alyssa," Caro said, perhaps more gently than she originally meant. "But you know that running away, worrying your Captain, is naughty. You can't possibly have thought you could make it all the way across New Zealand to find Ali, without being caught or stopped. Anything could have happened to you," she added, more sternly. 

Alyssa sniffled. "P-please don't be mad with me."

Caro shook her head. "I'm very disappointed with your choice, lillan. It was very naughty. I understand you weren't trying to be a bad girl, Alyssa, but naughty choices have consequences."

"You know better than to run away, lillasyster," Sofia added, exasperated. "You're lucky Ali didn't make you bring your candy cane with you."

Alyssa gulped, eyes widening at that. "Because that's what would have happened, isn't it, storasyster. Tia Ali would have..."

Caro watched as the teen paused, horror dawning on Alyssa's face. The Swede couldn't help adopting a sardonic tone.

"Oh? So when you run away, your Captain Tia gives you the cane for it?" she asked, gently mocking. "What did you think she would do if you actually managed, gods forbid, to make it across New Zealand and find her? What would Ali say to you if she knew you'd run that far away from base camp, all by yourself?"

"I...." AT's face was pale and she trembled. "I guess Captain Tia wouldn't say much. Not at first."

"Alright." Caro sat down next to Sofia, who was still cuddling Alyssa, and reached over to stroke the teen's hair. "Breathe, lillan. I'm sure Ali would have punished you, and it probably would have been the awfullest spanking you'd ever been given so far. Rightly so, taking off in a foreign country all alone," she added. "But, it still wouldn't mean that Ali loved you any less for it. She wouldn't have turned away from you because of it." 

"No, never," Sofia agreed with that sentiment. "She never would. Ali loves you too much to let that happen, lillasyster. I love you, and you're safe with me. You're as safe with Caro as you are with me or our mamas, or Ali," Sofia added. 

AT nodded slowly. "Is...is Caro going to have to punish me because I was bad?"

"Well, someone's going to have to," Sofia said dryly. "And since Caro's here, in charge, and available..."

"Which reminds me, Eva Sofia, it's about time for your maintenance, too," Caro said.

Sofia grimaced. It had only been two days since her last spanking, at the Italy match, but technically, that had been for sullenness during gameplay. This…this was her potentially being coaxed into collusion with Alyssa, and Caro definitely wasn’t having that.

"I'll behave for you, Caro," Sofia said at last. Her long pause had been brattiness in itself, Caro reflected, but it was perhaps the tamest form of bratting Sofia could come up with, since she could excuse it as being focused on her lillasyster.

Which wasn't really a lie either, so Caro couldn't call her on it.

"Good girl. Now, Alyssa, I'm going to need you to get up," Caroline prompted the teen. "It's time for Sofia to take her smacks. Bring me your strap, Sofia."

"Oh....Caro, Captain, please," Sofia corrected herself mid-protest. "Does it have to be the strap?"

"Bring it here, Eva Sofia," Caro repeated.

AT slid off Sofia's lap, wrapping both arms around Lavender and watching Sofia reluctantly go back to where her sports bag lay. The younger of the two Swedes rummaged in the bag, withdrawing the implement Caro had asked for. It was a short leather strap, just too long to be called a paddle, small enough that Caro could wield it with Sofia over her knee.

As Caro preferred, for maintenance. She felt it was very instructive for the young submissives to be reminded of what little girls they really were.

 AT sat on the bench, arms wrapped tightly around Lavender. She wanted to look away. Caro hadn't told her that she was required to watch, but something in the Swedish captain's demeanor told AT that she was expected to.

So she watched, as Sofia obediently, reluctantly draped herself across Caro's thighs, offering up the short strap.

After Caro had taken the strap and put it aside, she tugged Sofia's shorts and panties down together, leaving the younger Swede's bottom bare to start with.

"Twenty, Eva Sofia. I want you to count."

Sofia swallowed hard, but it was Caro's hand, not the strap, that landed on her bottom the next moment. As Caro's palm swatted down, Sofia remembered the last time she had been spanked by her captains, and choked out, "One, t-thank you Captain."

AT watched and listened as Caro continued spanking Sofia, and Sofia shakily counted the swats.

By the time Caro was done (with her hand, at least), Sofia was breathing hard and trembling a little. "O-oh, fuck, ow...twenty," she gasped. "Thank you, Captain."

"You took your warm-up so well, Sofia," Caro replied. "Just like I expect from a big girl like you. Isn't that right?"

Sofia tried not to squirm at that pronouncement. She turned her head to look at AT and immediately wished she hadn't. Alyssa looked even more nervous, if that was possible.

"Yes Captain," Sofia said quickly.

"Alright then. I won't make you count these," Caro said, picking up the strap. 

Unlike what some might expect, this was _not_ another way for Caro to say she planned on giving Sofia a good, hard strapping and nothing Sofia could do would stop her. 

Well, she was going to give Sofia a good strapping. But the number of strokes wouldn't be more than Sofia could bear. With that in mind, Caro brought the first half-strength smack down on Sofia's already nearly red bottom, leaving a red stripe in its wake.

"Ow, fuck..." Sofia struggled to hold back tears as the smacks with the strap continued to fall. By _ten,_ Sofia's tears were falling freely, and she sobbed over Caro's knee. "I'm not a child, Caro."

"You keep telling yourself that, Eva Sofia."

Two more smacks, across Sofia's thighs, had the sass wiped out of her. "Sorry, Caro, sorry! I'm sorry, I know I'm...I'm a naughty girl who has to be..." She paused, face almost as red as her bottom. 

Caro rested her palm on Sofia's hot bottom, smoothing it over the stripes. "Who has to be spanked until you learn your lesson, lillan?"

"Uh huh," Sofia whispered, shaking.

"Then just one more, I think," Caro soothed. "Hold still."

Sofia nodded apprehensively, yelping as the strap crossed both her bottom cheeks again. "Owww...."

Caro scooped Sofia up in her arms, still bare bottomed, holding the younger Swede against her chest. "Alright Sofia, lillan, breathe for me, it's alright."

Alyssa was still there, eyes fixed on the tableau before her. She wondered if Caro and Sofia had forgotten her, but she didn't dare move, or look away. She watched in horrified fascination as Caro fished out a water bottle, uncapping it and feeding Sofia slow sips of the water. 

Then, when Sofia was completely calm, Caro let her pull her panties and shorts back up, and get off Caro's lap when she was ready.

"Alright, Sofia," Caro said softly. "All done, no more until next week, so long as you behave yourself. Alyssa." She turned her head in the teen's direction, and AT froze.

"M-me?"  she squeaked.

"Come here, Alyssa, lillan."

Every instinct Alyssa had told her to flee, but somehow she mustered the strength to take the few last steps to Caro's side. "C-Captain Caro?" she asked worriedly.

Caro patted her knee. "Come on little one. Over you go."

"Can I hold Lavender?" she whispered, and Caro nodded. 

"Of course you can lillan. But no more stalling, now."

Worried, Alyssa allowed Caro to pull her gently into position, her body hitting Caro's thighs in a controlled fall. She yelped a little at the impact, then at the firm pat Caro landed over the seat of her pj bottoms.

"Are you alright lillan? Have you got your reindeer?" 

At Alyssa's nod, Caro smiled slightly. "Good. We can get started then."

Alyssa tried not to tense her bottom as the first few spanks began to fall. It was just Caro's palm across the seat of her flannel pj bottoms, though, softening the impact somewhat. Even so, AT felt it, and it wasn't long before her tears started.

That was Caro's cue. "Hold still, little one." She slipped her fingers under AT's waistband, tugging down her pj bottoms and panties together and removing the last bit of Alyssa's negligible protection.

When Caro's hand fell again, the sting was felt much more keenly.

"Owww...sorry, sorry Captain Caro!" she sobbed as Caro spanked her briskly, her bottom pinkening right up. She wriggled and kicked fruitlessly. "Oww...""

"And eighteen," Caro said softly, landing the last firm spank across the tops of AT's thighs. "Almost done, lillan, brave girl."

Alyssa sobbed, whimpering pitifully. "O-oh...please, sorry, sorry Captain Caro, I'll be so good," she begged. "Please don't, not the strap...I never..."

"Shh." Caro rubbed her hand over Alyssa's back to soothe her. "Sofia's still in one piece, isn't she?"

"Uh huh," AT sniffled.

"And you know your Captain Tia would have given you a hard punishment for running away. Can you say you don't deserve the strap, lillan?" Caro asked, more kindly than she intended.

Miserably, AT shook her head. "N-no...sorry I tried to make you not do it."

"It's alright lillan. Just a little now, I know what a little girl you are, I won't give you too many," Caro promised.

Burying her face in Lavender's fur, AT nodded.

Caro lifted the short strap and brought it down across Alyssa's bottom. It was a mild smack, without her full strength behind it, carefully moderated for the teen across her lap. Another stroke followed, and Alyssa wailed helplessly. Despite the strokes' relative gentleness, they still hurt on her already sore bottom.

Three. Four. Five. Six. The last two smacked down on Alyssa's sit spots, and then Caro handed the strap back to Sofia, picking the sobbing teen up and cuddling her close.

"Okay Alyssa, brave little girl," Caro soothed as AT cried apologies. "It's alright, all done lillan, it's forgiven, you're safe."

Slowly, Alyssa calmed, clinging to Caroline Seger as the Swedish captain held her. She sniffled and looked up at Caro, pale and trembling.

“B-but I’m gonna be in biggest trouble ever still,” she whispered. “Because when the Captains find out…”

Caro shook her head. “They know,” she said quietly. “We’ll take you back to them, but your Tia Alex gave me permission to discipline you. You won’t be smacked for this again, but you are grounded.”

AT groaned, and nodded reluctantly. “Okay,” she said meekly. “Do I have to go back right now?”

“Right now we’re doing a group call. Sofia, see to it, you know all the numbers.”

Sofia paled. “Tobin and Christen?”

“Yes, and Ali. Go on, see to it,” Caro prompted.

Sofia groaned, but, giving AT an apologetic look, she did as she was told. 

Her first call was to Alex Morgan, purely for her own peace of mind. Alex picked up immediately, looking at the video call while trying to stem her panic. “Sofia.”

“Hey, Morgan,” Sofia said quietly. “I…um…AT’s here.”

Alex nodded, jaw set tightly. “I know, your captains told me. Trust me, I’d be halfway there by now if Seger hadn’t asked me to sit and wait for you to bring her back to me.”

AT squeaked and buried her face in Caro’s shoulder.

“She asked me to do a group call, with Tobin, Christen, and Ali,” Sofia explained. “Would you mind being included in that?”

Alex shook her head. “Get it all out of the way at once, I guess. Fine with me, I’ll hold on while you get the others in.”

Sofia nodded, putting Alex on hold and calling Ali Riley next.

Ali picked up the phone, blinking when she saw it was Sofia calling. “Hey, Sofia,” she said. “Sorry I’m a bit distracted right now, my youngest is having a panic attack because she heard AT ran away. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

Sofia grimaced. “We’ve got her, Ali,” she promised. “AT’s in one piece. She’s not injured, she’s going to be fine.” 

Ali read between the lines easily enough. “Seger?”

“Yeah, Seger,” Sofia confirmed. “She asked me to call Tobin and Christen, and I’ve already got Alex on the line if you don’t mind me combining you two so I can pull Tobin and Christen in.”

“Oh joy,” Ali sighed. “This is going to go so well. Milly, sweetheart, breathe for me, you heard Sofia, AT’s just fine,” she cooed. “Yeah, patch me in and I’ll wait for you to get Tobs and Chris on.”

AT wept all over again at the thought that her recklessness had upset her best Kiwi friend, and Sofia sighed, combining the calls and placing Ali and Alex both on hold. Now was the time for the call she dreaded. Especially since it was fuck it o’clock back in California. Waking Tobin and Christen up to tell them what AT had done wasn’t a pleasing prospect.

“What’s up, buttercup?” Tobin answered the phone around a yawn, feigning cheerfulness.

“Have you heard anything from Alex and Lindsey in the last few hours?”

“No?” Tobin was instantly awake and on guard. “What’s wrong? Is it AT?”

“Of course it’s AT, Tobs,” Christen said resignedly. “After a draw knocking New Zealand out of the World Cup, you thought she’d be okay with that?”

Sofia exhaled and nodded. “She, um…she ran away. She wanted to get to Dunedin to convince Ali to stay, but--”

Tobin swore creatively, and both Christen and Sofia stared. AT, unable to see her Mama Tobin from that angle, froze on Caro’s lap, wide-eyed as she clung to the Swedish captain. “Mama!” she burst out, and Tobin took a calming breath.

“Little love? You’re there?” Tobin softened her tone immediately, and AT’s fear trickled away.

“I’m…I’m here, Mama Tobin,” she agreed meekly. “Only I think Captain Caro wants to talk to you both and Captain Tia and Tia Alex even maybe, all at once.”

“Put us through, then,” Tobin agreed, and Sofia did.

“Before we start,” Tobin said, catching the eye of the others on the call, and looking at AT in particular. “I want to remind you, Alyssa, you were already on notice for running away from your hotel room in Wellington to find the Swedes then. I specifically told you not to do this again, and then we were only talking about the same hotel, in the same city. But,” she added, before AT could panic, “I understand why you’re upset, little love. No one is angry with you for being upset. Do you understand? You’re allowed to be upset about Ali and the Ferns being eliminated.”

“That’s right,” Christen chimed in immediately. “Your feelings are your feelings, darling, and you’re always allowed to have them, Alyssa. I promise you that. But what do we say?”

“It’s what we do about our feelings that’s important, Mama Tobin, Mama Christen,” AT said meekly. “And…and I didn’t think. Again. I got biggest mad just like…just like that time with Mama Danielle and Papa Claudio, when Gio’s parents made me mad with them, and I ran away again like I did that time. Only…only this time it was in a whole other country where I don’t know anyone except the teams. And anything could have happened. But it didn’t.”

“Do you remember what happened when your Tia Alex got you home after that time?” Christen asked, and Alyssa swallowed hard.

She remembered, and nodded. “Uh huh,” she whispered.

“Alright, pet,” Ali murmured gently. “It’s alright, breathe for us Alyssa. You’ve been punished, for now, and no one’s mad with you. But we will have to revisit this when you get home. You knew that was coming, you’ve just made it worse for yourself.”

AT clung tightly to Lavender and nodded. “How…how big of trouble…”

“We’ll see,” Alex said, keeping her own voice gentle with effort. “For now, don’t worry about it. Like Tobin said last time, you’re on notice, and we’re keeping a tally for you. For now, though, the important thing is bringing you back safely where you belong, and focusing on the tournament. You’re not going to be venturing out on your own again.”

“Yes ma’am, Tia Alex,” AT said glumly. She’d expected as much.

“In the meantime,” Ali put in, “I’m very glad that if you had to run away, you had the sense to at least go to Sofia, and not to try crossing all of New Zealand to come and find me.” She paused at AT’s expression. “What is it, pet?”

“I…kind of wanted Sofia to bring me to you,” AT confessed, and her various guardians sighed in tandem, expressions ranging from resigned to exasperated.

“She doesn’t plan on it, I hope,” Alex said firmly.

“No ma’am. Caro put a stop to it before I could give in,” Sofia admitted reluctantly, and Alex shook her head.

“Whenever you get home, I want you to talk to Rachel.”

“Yes ma’am,” Sofia said with a sigh, grateful for the reprieve but knowing her new Top wasn’t likely to be happy about any of this.

“Alright then. Alyssa, I want you brought back right now,” Alex said firmly. “I’m very grateful to the Swedes for their hospitality, but you belong with us. You’ll be going to your room as soon as you get in.”

“Si Tia,” AT sniffled. “I’m sorry.”

“I know, and I’m not spanking you again, unless you need it, before we go home,” Alex said quietly. “Be a good girl for us, mijita. I know you can. Just do your best.”

Slowly, AT nodded. She flung herself into Sofia’s arms. “Can Sofia drive me back?”

“I’m driving, but Sof can sit in the back with you,” Caro said. “Everyone okay with that?”

There were nods all around on the call.

“Okay, little love. It’s all going to be alright,” Tobin said reassuringly. “One day at a time, Alyssa, sweetheart. You haven’t lost our love, any of ours.”

“I know, Mama Tobin. But I am really sorry,” AT added, sniffling. “And Lavender’s sorry for running away too, but she couldn’t stay behind when I was going.”

“Well we’re all very grateful to Lavender for accompanying you, Alyssa, darling,” Christen said gently. “Now, go with Caroline, and she’ll take you back to Tia Alex. Okay?”

“Uh huh,” AT sniffled. “Love you.”

“We all love you, mijita. See you soon,” Alex murmured. She left the call, followed by Tobin and Christen. 

Ali lingered longest. “Alyssa, look at me,” she said, and AT did, feeling nervous. “I promise you, everything will be alright. You’re going to survive, just like always, and we’re never ever going to stop loving you no matter what. Okay?”

Slowly, AT nodded. “Yes Captain Tia. I understand.”

“There’s my good girl. I understand why you’re upset. I’m upset about being eliminated so early too. But I want you to keep on working hard to represent the US, okay, Alyssa? Do your best for them.”

“Uh huh. I can do that, Captain Tia,” AT promised.

“Good girl. Then I’ll see you soon. Hopefully not too soon. And you’re grounded for a little while, but I’m sure once everything is over, you and Milly and your other friends can stay in touch on your socials. Okay? We’re not keeping you from them forever. Maybe Milly can come visit sometime.”

A smile bloomed on AT’s tearstained face. “Oh yes please, I’d really like that, Captain Tia.”

“Well, I’ll see what I can do,” Ali conceded. “I’m glad you two have become such good friends.”

“Me too,” AT whispered.

“Alright then, pet. Just remember your focus, and play your best, okay? I’ll be cheering you on from home.”

“I promise,” AT vowed, and then Ali was gone.

The ride back to the USWNT base was taken in silence. AT was practically sitting in Sofia’s lap in the back seat of Caro’s rental car, wrapped in Sofia’s arms as well as the Swede could manage. The two didn’t want to have to let go of each other, but before long, they were back in Auckland.

“I love you, lillasyster,” Sofia whispered. “See you soon, I hope.”

“Of course, storasyster,” AT promised. “And I won’t run away next time.”

“Good,” Caroline said firmly. “Let’s make sure not.” She delivered Alyssa straight to Alex Morgan, and the eighteen year old was marched up to her room and sent to bed directly.

“You were up half the night and you’re still in your pjs. I don’t know what you thought you were doing, but for now you’re going back to bed.”

“Si Tia,” AT sniffled as she climbed back into bed with Lavender. “I mean Captain.”

“Either’s fine, mijita,” Alex sighed, petting AT’s hair gently as she soothed her back to sleep, tucked in on her stomach. “I’m just glad you’re back where you belong, and you won’t be leaving my sight again for the rest of this tournament.”

AT grimaced and nodded, but was too tired to argue. She cuddled close to her reindeer, and moments later, was sound asleep.

Worrying about trouble was a problem for future her. For now, she was back with her team, and tucked safely into a warm bed. Everything else could wait.