Chapter Text
Six years, a total of six years has passed since Adora moved from the city of Fright Zone to the countryside of Brightmoon. She remembers the day she left, how bittersweet it was. She turns her head and glances at her alarm clock, 4:30 AM, it was still dark out but the alarm would be going off in 30 minutes. Sighing she sits up to linger at the edge of the bed her eyes move from the clock to the picture next to it. A picture that brought back memories of a time she never wants to forget. She remembered having to beg Lonnie to take the picture as she shoved the cell phone in her hand. Lonnie protested but took it as if she didn’t had much of a choice as Adora sprinted over next to Catra. Catra, Adora frowns slightly. It was the last time she saw her, the last time she held her hand, the last time she leaned against her. They grew up in the group home system, probably the worst one ever made. Suffering from neglect and abuse most of the time they just looked out for each other. Weaver, the woman in charge of the home they lived in, always found a way to make their lives hell. The night of the picture was just a few days after her birthday, she begged Catra to run off with her, promised things would be better, but on that night Adora walked the streets alone, with a single bag in her arms.
Adora stands and makes her bed like she always does every morning. Catra would have called her an idiot for continuing to do so. Sometimes old habits never die. She chuckles at the thought of Catra making a snarky comment. Adora wondered what she would say back, coming up with scenarios in her head. Scenarios that would never play in the real world. When would she get over it, when would she get over her, the girl she felt so dearly for? She felt pathetic to be clinging on to the past so much. Catra didn’t want to go with her the night she left, she chose her path and so did Adora. She finishes the bed and lingers by the picture for a moment before making her way to the closet to grab her usual outfit. A flannel tucked into jeans with boots and her hat of course. She would never forget her hat. After getting dressed she turns off the alarm before it has a chance to go off. She didn’t want to wake her roommate’s Glimmer and Bow. She met the two a few days after she came to Brightmoon, she spotted a help wanted poster while she was roaming the town. Without a place to sleep or a job to earn money, she would take what she could get. She was strong and though had little to no experience with animals she seemed to do well with the horses specifically.
The three clicked instantly and it took no time for them to offer her to live with them. They ran a farm that supplied food to the town and Adora’s help made a huge difference in their productivity levels. She seemed worried at first, growing up in the Fright Zone you never trusted anyone but over time Glimmer and Bow became her family. The two were a bonded pair. It was obvious by the smell of them and the bite mark of course. Normally most alphas that are bonded are very territorial towards single alphas in their home, yet Adora and Glimmer got along perfectly. Maybe it was because she had zero interest in Bow or maybe it was because Glimmer wasn’t a stereotypical Alpha that felt the need to be dominant over her. Whatever the reason she was very close to them. She slips out of her room and makes her way down the stairs. Turning the corner into the kitchen she spots Bow sipping some coffee, an extra cup full sitting on the counter. She assumed it was for her.
“Heading out to the stables?”
“Yeah, sorry did I wake ya up? I try not to make a lot of noise this early.”
“No, I was up, figured I’d join you today.” He takes a finger and pushes the coffee so it slides a bit. Adora walks over and grabs it.
“You never get up this early.” Bow takes another sip.
“I know, I can’t tell you why I’m up, but I’m up so I might as well get a head start on work.” Adora leans on the counter next to him. They share a few more words before heading out to the farm land. Adora was in charge of the stables and Bow handled the crops. The farm land designated for the crops was a manageable size for one person to do. Stable work wasn’t hard just long so Adora liked to start as early as possible. With no distractions, she could be done before noon. She was the only one who could do the job the fastest without needing a break. That and she was the only one who could control Swift Wind a young stallion that they got a few months after Adora’s arrival. He isn’t the largest horse in the stable but does have a finicky attitude only allowing Adora to ride him. He was given to them by his previous owner, giving the three a warning about his wild and rambunctious behavior. Despite his negative rapport he took a liking to Adora and would only behave when she is around.
Adora always tends to him first, quickly catching on that he gets jealous if he is not first at everything. She chuckles when he trots past her slapping her slightly with his tail as he heads out to the pasture. It’s not long before the other horses make their way as well and Adora gets to work cleaning. By the time noon hits Adora is done cleaning, changing bedding, feeding, and grooming all the horses. She heads back inside to shower and eat. Bow was still out tending to the rest of the farm, he took a few breaks in between work, unlike Adora. She releases a sigh when she sits down on the couch, a plate of food in hand. A sandwich since she hated cooking and she wasn’t really good at it. Bow was a cook in the house so they relied on him for real meals.
“Is Bow still out there?” Adora turns her head to peep around the couch to see Glimmer walking over to her.
“Yeah I think so, ya know Bow takes breaks when he’s working. Did you just wake up?” She catching the smell of sex lingering on her and gives her a sly smirk. Glimmer blushes and crosses her arms.
“I- I’ve been up for a while. Had to do some things but I’m ready now.”
“You mean recover? You had to recover?” Glimmer playfully swats at her.
“Whatever look I’m going out to help Bow can you do me a favor and head into town to pick up some groceries.” She lays a paper on the arm of the couch. “Here’s a grocery list.”
“We gotta go again? Didn’t we just get groceries last week?”
“Yes, but someone here eats for 3 people.” Glimmer gives her a look.
“Hey! I have to maintain the muscles. I have a strict high protein diet.”
“And that is why we have to get groceries once a week, plus I want something fancy for dinner so we need the ingredients.”
“Yes your majesty.”
“Oh hush, I’m heading out.” Adora continues eating as she picks up the list, Glimmer was known to have a different palette than she did. Adora just loved food in general. Being in the city food was always processed with crap in it so it never really tasted as good. Her first night here Bow had cooked them a big dinner. She ate so much that night she was surprised she didn’t get sick. Normally her and Catra would steal prime cuts of meat from the grocery store and burn the hell out of it on the store when Weaver wasn’t around. At least Catra put enough seasoning on it to mask the chardness. Adora chuckled and got up, she was thinking about her again. Maybe it was because today marked the anniversary of her being here, maybe that's why all the memories keep coming back to her all at once. She places her napkin in the kitchen trash and heads out to the truck with the list. It was a newer model only a year old, they got it last year because the old one finally gave out. It was Bows idea to splurge on a nice fancy one with heated seats, strong a/c, and a 360 camera. Adora did most of the driving so she spent most of the time with the truck than the others did. Bow and Glimmer were more riders than drivers, though out of the two Bow was a better driver than Glimmer. Adora tabs her fingers on the steering wheel as she cruises down the dirt path leading away from the farm, it would take about 20 minutes to get to town. She didn’t mind it, she enjoyed the ride, it was peaceful. On each side was farmland, horses and cows could be seen frolicking in the grass. She leans an arm out the window allowing the wind to glide through her hair, everything was perfect yet not at the same time. She knew why it wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t something she could change. Too much has already changed.
She pulled the truck into the parking spot right in front of the store, there weren’t a bunch of cars so it shouldn’t take long getting what she needed. Not that she mind going to the grocery store or like she had anything else to do. When she walked in she was hit buy the familar smell of pine, they must have recently mopped the floors.
“Adora! Welcome back. You come in here like every day now huh?” She’s met by the wide smile of a large woman only a year or two older than her.
“Seems like it Scorpia, Glimmer says I eat a lot so that’s why I’m always in here.”
“I’m sure she means well, us strong gals gotta eat a lot to stay this way.” She flexes and Adora grins. Scorpria moved here about a year ago from the Fright Zone, she too was an Alpha but lacked the aggressive part. It was strange the first time they met, it was Scorpias first day at the local grocery store, well the only grocery store in town, the previous management had some money issues and had to sell the business. Scorpia was the only person willing to buy it. They lived in a small town where everyone kinda knew everyone. Nothing exciting happened and there wasn’t much opportunity here. She asked Scorpia why she chose here to settle and the gentle giant explained how she needed a break from the chaos of the city. If it wasn’t for Scorpia actually telling Adora she was also from the Fright Zone she would have never known. Most people from the city were a lot more hostile, on edge and just overall not very friendly yet Scorpia seem to be full of life. It was no surprise she got along with Adora and the rest of the gang so well. There were times when her and Adora would talk about life back in the city, how rough it was how they are glad they no longer live there. It was nice to have someone that had similar experiences to her, someone she could relate to. Not that she couldn’t relate to Bow and Glimmer it was just they didn’t really understand it. “You getting the usual today?”
“Yes and no, Glimmer said she wanted a ‘fancy’ dinner tonight so I’m getting some extra stuff on top of what I usually get.”
“Oh what’s she cooking?” Scorpia leans over the counter at the register. Adora snorts.
“Please you know Glimmer doesn’t cook. Bow is the chef in the house and honestly I don’t know. I just kinda skimmed over the list.”
“Didn’t Glimmer cook last year for Mermistas birthday party?”
“Yeah but she burnt everything up. Bow had to rush and remake everything.” Scorpia chuckles and waves to a customer as they walk into the store. It was a slow day, not a lot of people come in and out. The stories busiest days were during the end of the week and tend to be slow on mondays and tuesdays. “How many customers ya see on mondays on average?” Scorpia takes a moment to think.
“Yeah know I dunno, never really thought about it. If i had to guess probably 10 maybe 20 people on a Monday.”
“Gesh that’s nothing! How do you afford to stay open.” A grabs a cart located a few feet away from the registers. She always wondered where Scorpia got all that money. The woman was basically a millionaire, the ideal perfect Alpha, kind and rich but no one knew how she got it. When asked about it she would just give her a suspicious grin but say no more.
“It’s not about making money, just about making sure people have what they need. Plus I make it up later on in the week, it’s normally packed in here starting Thursday afternoon. Fridays and the weekends are crazy. I run good deals on alcohol during the weekends so everyone comes fighting for some. So I don’t even have to be open on Mondays and Tuesdays if I don’t want to. It’s fun being open though.”
“Have you always been so, I don’t know good with business? Is that what you did back in the city? Did you run a bunch of business and then came here to relax?” Scorpia gives her a grin and Adora crosses her arms. “Don’t give me that look, can’t you just tell me.” She moves closer to the counter and whispers. “D-did you sell drugs. I know some people can make a killing off of that.” Scorpia laughs and roughly slaps her on the back causing Adora to flinch. She was strong but Scorpia was a different left of strong.
“No silly, I would never do something like that.”
“Then tell me what you did-” Adora is interrupted by a woman waiting to be checked out. She looks at the two confused and Adora quickly clears her throat. “Uh sorry ma’am, I’ll move out your way.” She gives Scorpia a this isn’t over look before sliding pass with her shopping cart. The things on Glimmer's list weren’t hard to find, it only took her maybe 30 minutes total to fill her cart. She decided to take a moment to browse the meat selection. Her farm only produced produce like fruits, and veggies. So whenever she found a nice cut of meat she tried to get it while she could. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, it was probably Glimmer texting her to get more things. To her surprise it was just a spam notification from her Instagram account. She was about to close it out when a name caught her eye.
HellCat_7 has posted for the first time in a while.
Her eyes widen as she stares at the notification on the lock screen. That username, she knew exactly who account that was. Frantically she unlocked the phone and opened up the app. It takes her no time to get to the page. HellCat_7, there were a bunch of photos all of them from high school years ago, she was surprised they weren’t deleted. There was one picture that was new, posted a minute ago.
“Catra.” She mutters to herself. The picture was of Catra leaned back in an airport chair. She had a lazy look in her eyes like she was tired and her hair was so much shorter. Her eyes seem to stare through the picture and Adora felt her heart beat increase. Catra dropped off of social media four years ago. Adora had attempted to reach Catra when she first left but Catra made it clear in a short text that she wanted nothing more to do with her. The message was still saved in her phone, the message so far down in her phone list. She didn’t even try reaching out on any social media. She knew it was no use, Catra was stubborn and once she made up her mind it was made. Still, seeing Catras face even in a picture felt refreshing. It was nice to know she seem to be okay, that she was alive, she was worried Shadow Weaver did something to her. Her tumb hesitated over the heart button, she wanted so badly to like the picture to let Catra know she had saw it, but then again what good would that do. It would only let Catra know she was obsessed with her. This was the present and Adora was stuck thinking about the past still.
“Deciding on meats? I didn’t get anything special in today.” The sudden appearance of Scorpia by her side made her jump slightly dropping her phone. Scorpio quickly picks it up. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare ya. I just saw you standing over here and figured you needed to some help choosing.” She glanced at the phone as she hands it to Adora. “Hey! Wait is that Wild Cat!” Adora blinks giving her a confused look.
“You know Catra?”
“Yeah totally, we used to be roommates for like four years!” Adora heart is pounding against her chest and she tries to find the words to say. “How do you know Catra?”
“We uh.” She shallows taking a look at the instagram post one last time before locking the phone and putting it in her pocket. “We grew up together.”
“Seriously? She never brought you up before.” Scorpia thinks for a moment. “Actaully she never talked about her past in the first place. Catra isn’t much of a ya know talk about ya feelings type of gal. I’m sure you already know this being her childhood friend.” Scorpia smiles and Adora forces one in return. “Hey! I don’t know if she told you or not but she’ll be here later on tonight if you wanna come over! She’s gonna be staying with me for a few weeks to visit.” Adora goes pale and she just stares at Scorpia who continues to talk for a while before noticing. “Hey Adora! Are you okay? You don’t look so good. Maybe you should sit down.” Adora felt like all the blood had rushed from her body. Catra, her childhood friend, her use to be best friend, the girl she had crushed on since high school and never saw again was going to be in the same town for the first time in four years. “Hey, Adora, are you-” Scorpia reached out to steady her.
“I-I’m fine. Thanks Scorpia. I’m fine.”
“Ya sure you look like you are about to pass out. Was it something I said, ya know sometimes I can get to talking.”
“No no, you’re fine Scorpia. Thank you. I should get going.” Scorpia frowned.
“Alright, lets get you checked out.” They head towards the front and Adora loads up the belt with the items from her cart. Scorpia scans them and neatly places them in bags.
“Don’t tell her you know me….” Scorpia stops mid scan and looks at her.
“Huh? Why?”
“I-I just think it would be for the best, if she didn’t know I was here. We aren’t on good terms. I haven’t spoken or seen here since I left.”
“Oh…” She continues to scan. “I guess, but you’ll run into each other sooner or later. Why avoid her.”
“I’m not avoiding her, I just.” Adora sighs. “I know she isn’t gonna wanna see me. Catra holds grudges.”
“Yeah I know.” She finishes ringing everything up and places the bags in the cart. Adora pays and Scorpia grabs the cart stopping her from leaving. “I’ll text you.” Adora eyes her and says nothing. Scorpia eventually lets go and the sound of the old shopping cat sliding across the floor is all that can be heard.
____________________________________________________________________________
“So what are you going to do?” Adora knew the question was going to come but she wasn’t expecting it to come from Glimmer. Normally she wasn’t the most rational out of the three, it was Bow who specilized in talking about your feelings.
“I don’t know.”
“You can’t think you are going to be able to avoid her? Adora this town is only so big. Eventually you are going to run into her.” They were cleaning up the kitchen from eating dinner, she didn’t remember what Glimmer called it, all she knew was that it was good and it filled her stomach well. She wipes the table down with a damp cloth and Glimmer eyes her. She clears her throat when the question isn’t answered.
“I don’t know Glimmer yes! I mean what do you expect me to do? Oh hey Catra its me Adora the girl who moved and left you behind to rot in the home. How are you? Shakes hand. “
“All I’m saying is why hide the fact that you are here? Just tell her. Shoot her a message.”
“She blocked my number.”
“She didn’t block you on Instagram, you could message her there. Maybe wait til Scorpia textes you when she arrives, then message her.”
“I don’t know Glimmer. I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. What if she doesn’t respond or tells me she hates me or something.”
“Then she doesn’t deserve you!” She walks over to where Adora was at the table and places her hands on her shoulders. “Listen, I’ve know you for four years now and I’ve never heard you talk about someone like you talk about Catra. I can’t say you two can work things out, but I will say trying won’t hurt. If she doesn’t want to be with you then it’s time you moved on Adora. It’s been years if Catra has not changed in that time then maybe you two are best not to be in each other’s lives.”
“I know, I just don’t want that confirmation. I guess in my head there was always a chance.”
“Well whose to say she isn’?” Bow walks in with a paper towel drying his hands.”She could be going through the same thing. From what you told us about her it sounds like there is a possibility that could be the case. I mean you two had a very close bond growing up. Talking is always the best way.” Adora looks at the two of them and smiles slightly.
“But you guys don’t know Catra like I do. She isn’t the type to just talk things out. She…”
“Maybe the Catra from four years ago but like Glimmer said people can change.” Bow smiles at her. “Look at you. You aren’t the same Adora we met four years ago.”
“That’s true.” She sighs and tosses the rag into the sink. “Let’s just watch a movie or something.” Bow and Glimmer nods not wanting to press the situation too much. They didn’t really have an opinion on Catra since they didn’t actually know her. Well Bow didn’t Glimmer wasn’t too fond of her. She felt protective over Adora and the fact that Catra caused Adora grief upset her. They made their way to the living room and relaxed on the couches. Adora laid out across the love seat while Bow and Glimmer took the sectional. She didn’t really care what they put on as long as it was something to take her mind off of Catra. Even for a moment. The movie they were watching was supposed to be a thriller or was it horror, Adora wasn’t sure what the point of it was. The whole movie was just people getting kidnapped and forced to do weird gory stuff to escape. There was a weird doll that would give them directions on what to do before a timer would start and they went berserk. She didn’t find it interesting and she shifted on the couch so that she was laying down. It wasn’t long before her eyes began to slowly close.
_______
“Adora! I thought I specifically told you to keep her in line…..” Adora stands in front of Catra as they stood in the dark and dreadful looking office. Dark eyes peered through them and she could feel the trembling coming from Catra who was slightly holding onto the back of her shirt. There is a long silence before the woman at the desk speaks. She leans slightly back, arms crossed but never taking her eyes off of them. “Sneaking out of the house past curfew to roam the city streets….did you think I wasn’t going to find out? Do I look stupid to you child.”
“Shadow Weaver we were just-“
“I’m talking to CATRA!” Adora doesn’t flinch, but shifts so that she was shielding Catra a bit better just in case Shadow Weaver tried to hit her. The grip on her shirt got tighter but there was no response from Catra. They were use to this, the yelling at least. From the first day Adora met Catra when she was just 4 years old Shadow Weaver had always been yelling at them. She yelled at everyone in the home actually. Most of the kids who showed up here never got placed in homes, there were a few that were able to go to foster homes but they were returned only a few months after. This was a place for the unwanted children, a certain type of hell the they were dumped into. Adora spent almost all of her time with Catra, they were inseparable. There were other kids there that they spent time with but they naturally had a strong bond with each other and it was obvious to everyone. As they grew older they became even closer, often Catra would lead her off on weird late night city adventures and they would get into all sorts of mess. Adora being more of the peaceful one out of the two would end fights Catra started. Shadow Weaver never liked the two spending too much time together, she would always say their kind were not meant to be equals, that Catra should know her place. Adora knew she was different from Catra, anatomy wise, she also knew all about Alphas and Omegas. She just didn’t understand why it was such a big deal. She has always saw Catra as her equal and now at the age of 18 the urge to protect her ran so much deeper than even she could understand.
“I expect this type of behavior from her but to drag Adora down this reckless path with you? Haven’t you learned your place yet or did you forget you are a lowly Omega?” Catras ears lay flat but she doesn’t speak, her claws dig into Adoras shirt, ripping it slightly in the process.
“I was the one who wanted to sneak out. It was my idea.” Shadow Weavers eyes slowly drift over to Adoras. They stare at each other for a moment before she speaks again. “Punish me if you must, but please…..leave Catra out of this.” Shadow Weaver leans onto the desk, the ticking of the clock seems so much louder in the silence. Adora keeps her position firm.
“Very well, Catra…..leave us.” Catras eyes widen and she looks at Adora. Adora knows she doesn’t want to leave but she gives her a reassuring smile before gently placing a hand on hers. They only have a moment of eye contact before Shadow Weaver snaps. “LEAVE…..NOW.” Catras ears lay flat before she reluctantly lets go of Adora. Catra makes her way out and shuts the door behind her. Adora stands tall and shoots her a dark glare. “Come now, don’t look at me with such a scary face Adora.”
“How else am I suppose to look at you.” Shadow Weaver smiles slightly.
“Your bond with Catra has grown a lot since she was first dumped here. If I would have known you’d rebel against me because of her I would have left her to d-“
“Don’t say that!” Adora snaps. It is the first time she has yelled at Shadow Weaver in her entire life. They both seem a little taken aback by the outburst but Shadow Weaver doesn’t comment on it.
“Tell me something Adora. Do you think you have a future with Catra.”
“What do you mean, Catra is my best friend of course I do.”
“Best friend.” Shadow Weaver grimaces. “An Alpha and Omega can not be best friends Adora. I don’t know how to make you understand that. You two are different. She is not your equal.”
“She is my equal and so what if she’s different what does that have to do with anything.”
“It has everything to do with it. You are an Alpha, an Alpha who just turned 18. You cannot tell me you have the same feelings towards that Omega now as you did when you were 4. Your urges have started. I can smell it. You are changing and so is she.” Adora blinks and looks off to the side. “There is no denying it, I am an Alpha just as you are. I know when these type of things start to happen. You have a bright future a head of you Adora. With your grades it will take you no time to get into a top university. Brightmoon has the best law school in the country. You’ll be able to do all the things I couldn’t -“
“I don’t want to be a lawyer.” Shadow Weaver sighs and rubs her temples.
“Adora we’ve talked about this, you are going to law school. I bet Catras been feeding you lies to keep her next to you. Filthy Omega.” Adora clenches her fist tightly at the insult but she keeps her mouth shut. “ Hanging around Catra isn’t going to do you any good Adora. Are you listening to me? You are going to law school. You don’t get a choice, I already have the scholarship paperwork ready for you to sign and accept. You are 18 now, you have no money, no home besides here. Where will you go without me? Huh? Will you run away with Catra?” She chuckles. “She still has a few months until she turns 18 so legal I own her.” Adora is shaking at the word own. Now one owns Catra, especially Shadow Weaver Catra is hers- “ Once she turns 18 she’s going off to the military.”
“What….” Adoras eyes widen. Shadow Weaver cocked an eyebrow at her.
“The military. Where else would she go?”
“She can come with me! I can take care of her.”
“Catra is nothing more than a distraction, it’s better off to end ties with her. Go to law school, support the home, and find a suitable mate that will carry your offspring. Preferable one that is not a hybrid.”
“But-“
“ENOUGH!” She slams her hands on the desk and stands up. Adora grimaces but instantly shuts her mouth. “You will do as I say. I’ll show you mercy and give you a few weeks to cut ties with that filthy omega. After that you better start packing your bags.” There is a moment of silence before she sits back down. “You are dismissed.”
Adora storms out the office and slams the door behind nearly knocking over someone in the process. It takes her a split second to to register who has been standing by the door. She gives her a somber look before reach out to gently touch the side of her face.
“Catra….”
_______
Her eyes flutter open a bit as she feels the pressure of a hand on her shoulder, the shaking helps her bring herself out of the dream. Eventually her eyes and ears begin to focus on the real world around her.
“Hey your phone has been ringing back to back. It’s Scorpia.” Glimmer hovers over her and hands her the phone. She looks around remembering that she was suppose to be watching a movie.
“Where’d Bow go?”
“I got him to go upstairs and get in the bed. He too feel asleep during the movie. You two are like old people can’t even stay up for a movie which wasn’t even that long may I point out.” Adora takes the phone and stands up stretching her legs.
“Hey you weren’t out all morning tending to the farm a good nap is good.”
“You two have been asleep for almost three hours. That’s not a nap. Anyways whatever you were dreaming about didn’t seem good. Your face was all scrunched up so I figured I’d wake you up.” Adora glances over at the Tv, some reality tv show was on now and there were snacks on the table. Glimmer knew about her having stress dreams, it wasn’t the first time she had them so she decided to watch over Adora while she was sleeping.
“Thanks Glimmer.”
“No problem, now you might want to call Scorpia back. It is probably about Catra.”
“Right.” She stares at the phone as Glimmer heads back over to the couch and plops down. She stretches out and adjusts the pillows. “I’m going to step outside real quick.” Glimmer gives her a thumbs up before focusing back on the tv. She returns the call and shuts the door behind her, taking a seat on one of the chairs out front. It only has to ring once before Scorpia answers.
“HEY ADORA!” She winches slightly at the loud greeting in her ear. “ Sorry for calling you so many times. I know I just saw you like 4 maybe 5 hours ago but I want to let you know Catra will be landing at the airport in about 2 hours, there was a delay for some reason so it’s taking her longer. I know you said don’t tell her you are here, but you know I’m not good at keeping secrets. I mean I am, just not for long. So I actually have a plan! I was thinking instead of you meeting up with her here how about you go pick her up?”
“Pick her up!? I don’t know if that’s a good idea Scorpia. She’s going to feel like she’s bee ambushed.”
“It’s a perfect idea! Trust me. I’ll just text her saying hey car issues I’ll have a good friend of mine pick ya up! This isn’t the first time I’ve had to have a friend pick her up she would think much of it.” Adora sighs and rubs her neck and it only takes her a few moments to come up with an answer.
“Fine, I guess.”
“GREAT! I’ll send Catra a text, she wont’ get it right now but by the time she gets off the plane she’ll see it. Good luck!”
“Scorpia wait-“ She hangs up the phone and Adora checks the time, 2 hours until she lands. It will be almost 8 by the time Catra arrives, that was plenty of time to get her thoughts together. She slips the phone in her pocket and heads over to her truck, deciding that cleaning it out was one way to kill time. She uses her hand to brush off the passenger seat and gathers any trash left inside. She opens up a new scented freshener and hands it on her mirror. Catra always had a sensitive nose so the ocean breeze was something that wouldn’t irritate her. She does one final checking of the car before she climbs into the driver seat. She shoot Glimmer a quick text before pulling out. Cleaning out the car only took about 10 minutes so she still have some time to kill. She didn’t want to wait at home knowing she would only be anxiously pacing around. Glimmer would have told her to go outside and do something anyways. She’s never been on a plane before but she figured the food wouldn’t be all that good. She should head into town and grab a few snacks for Catra to eat, or maybe Catra wasn’t hungry. She could have eaten before she got on the plane or the plane could just have good food. Did Catra like the same things she did when they were younger? She scratches her head with her free hand, why was she over complicating things. She should just head to the store, grabs some snacks for Catra and that be that. If Catra didn’t like the food well then she would just eat it. Wasn’t like she was never hungry anyways. She swings by a fast food place and grabbed something she hoped Catra still liked. There weren’t many places like this around town so there weren’t many options. She carefully places the drink in the cup holder and heads towards the airport. It was a 40 minute drive from town so she would only be waiting about an hour for Catra. She turns up the radio and gently taps on the steering wheel like she normally does. The ride itself was calm but the feelings inside her were far from that.
_______
Adora checks her phone just about every 5 minutes, she’s been waiting for a little over an hour now in the parking lot before she finally pulled up to the front entrance of the airport. She turns her hazards on so people know she was there for someone and not just to be in the way. The radio is on low, just enough that she can barely hear it not that she is interested in hearing it anyways. Each person that walks out makes Adora sit on the edge of her seat, maybe she should get out the truck and wait by it, so that way Catra would see her. Her phone dings and she quickly checks it. It was from Scorpia, letting her know that Catra responded to her text about a friend picking her up and that she was heading out now. Adora sent a quick okay before slipping the phone back in her pocket and darting out the truck. She moves to the passenger side and leans on the door, her arms crossed over her chest. She should stand less threatening, she remembered how Catra felt about being an Omega, how she was treated like she was less than. Times were different now so Omegas weren’t treated as poorly as they were before, but they still weren’t seen. As equal across the board. She didn’t want her to come out and see a jock Alpha standing like she owned the world. Of course Adora didn’t feel like she owned the world but better keep a neutral more passive pose. She uncrosses her arms and shoves her hands into her pocket keeping a watchful eye out for Catra. It didn’t take long until she spotted her umongst the crowd of people leaving. She was looking at her phone, probably reading a text from Scorpia.
Adora bites her lip about to call out to her when their eyes meet. Catra stands there, a large bag slung over her shoulder. Anxiety hits Adora hard and she can feel a lump in her throat. Catra had filled out since the last time Adora saw her. Her hips were wider, and her chest looked fuller. Her overall appearance felt so much more matured. She was wearing tight jeans with a red/maroon colored short sleeve t-shirt. Everything just hugged her in all the right ways and Adora found herself thinking about how nice it would be to be able to explore her. She mentally curses at her self, now was not the time to be fantasizing about her. The last thing she needed was a hard on while they drove to Scorpias. Catra opened her mouth to speak when Adora beat her to it.
“Scorpia asked me to come get you! She uh…… she said she was having some car troubles.” Catra still doesn’t say anything. “I uh, I understand if you don’t want to see me. It’s been a long time…..” She rubs the back of her neck nervously. “I- I don’t mind seeing about getting you another ride.”
“No. You don’t need to do that.” Adora relaxes, but only just a bit. Iit had been so long since she heard Catras voice, it felt comforting in a way. “I mean, it’s okay. I’m surprised but it’s…..it’s alright. You went through all this trouble to get me. I accept the ride.”
“Oh….okay. Uh.” She quickly opens the passenger door. “We should go it’s a 40 minute ride back to town. Another 10 minutes to get to where Scorpia lives.” Catra walks over to the truck and Adora quickly grabs her bag. It catches her off guard. “I’ll put this in the back seat for you.” She says as Catra finishes getting in. Adora shuts the door gently and moves around to the driver side. She opens the back door and plops the bag in the seat before getting in herself. Adora has always been a safe driver, not once having any traffic violations, things are chill here in the country so even if she was to drive crazy more than likely no one would care, nor would they notice. They rode in silence for a while, Catra stared out the window while Adora did her best to keep her eyes straight on the road.
“Nice truck.” Adora doesn't expect the compliment.
“Thanks, it’s pretty up to date, got it last year. My roommates and I share it, but I do most of the driving. They prefer to ride.” Catra hums but doesn’t take her eyes from the window. They ride in a little more silence before it becomes too awkward for Adora to handle. “So, uh how ya been?”
“Not much for riding in silence are you?”
“Sorry. I just….. it’s been a while since we saw each other, since we talked.”
“That’s true.” Catra sighs. “How long has it been? Six years?” Adora nods.
“Yeah, six. Seems like yesterday…..” She trails off remembering their last encounter. Catra stays silent and Adora could feel the tension in the truck though she wanted so badly to know what Catra has been up to she quickly changes the conversation. “Ya know Scorpia runs the grocery store here, I’m surprised. She won’t tell anyone where she got the money to buy the place. It’s a small town so business isn’t like it is in the city. Some days she barely has customers come in. You wouldn’t happen to know what she did back in the city….would you.” Catra glances at her.
“Want me to rat my friend out Adora?”
“What! N-No I wasn’t asking it like that I was just curious...thats all.” Catra chuckles slightly and Adora steals a quick glance at her. It was nice to hear her laugh again.
“I’m just fucking with you Adora. I was surprised too when she said she was moving down to the country to start fresh. If I’m going to be honest I don’t know where she gets her money. I think her family is just rich? When I met her a few years ago she just had money an endless amount. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen her work an actual job though.”
“Hm damn, thought I was gonna finally find out. So, how did you and Scorpia meet?” Catra cocks an eyebrow but answers the question.
“I met her at my job, she used to be a client.”
“Oh, what do you do?”
“Is this 100 questions Adora?”
“No I was just being curious, keeping the conversation going.” Catra hums again.
“I work as a lawyer.” Adora eyes widen and she grabs the steering wheel tight.
“A lawyer…… but I thought you were-“
“Joining the military, so did I. Shadow Weaver needed someone to legally cover her ass when she was still the head of the home.”
“When? Is she….” She thinks back to the memories of the home, all the bad memories there. “Is she no longer there?”
“No.” Catra says simple and looks back out the window. There was silence again and Catra sighs. “Go on, I know you want to ask more questions. Might as well get it over with now. I’m going to be here for a while.”
“How did you finish law school so quickly? Normally it takes at least 7 years to complete everything and why did you go to law school, you were never interested in that before. Did she force you to go because of….” Me, she wanted to say because of her.
“Yeah she did. Once you left she just zeroed in on me. More than usual that is. So I followed in your foot steps. She pulled some strings and made it so that I could skip all the basic courses that had nothing to do with law specific stuff and I finished in four and a half years. I studied everyday, every second I was neck deep in books. Lucky for me I have a talent for getting people to do as I please.” She chuckles. “At least the old hang taught me something of worth.”
“Catra I’m so sorry. I-“
“Don’t be, I made the decision to stay we both know this.”
“Did you stay under her care? I mean you age out at 18.”
“I did age out, but she paid for an apartment for me and made sure I went through school. In return I kept her out of legal trouble while she ran the place into the ground.”
“Legal trouble?”
“Money trouble, she wasn’t actually taking care of the kids there, we both know this. Shadow Weaver took the money from the state and whatever donations and used it for herself.” She snorts. “Wish she would have used some of it to buy some new clothes or something. That’s the least she could have done. My salary kept that place running for a few years, I made a lot of many handling large cases. After a while I got the courage to say no, I stopped protecting her, defending her and eventually they caught her.”
“Shit Catra that’s horrible.”
“It’s over now, she disappeared a year ago, no one knows where she is. I took over the home legally and got someone who was capable of actually doing some good with the kids there. The girls nice, but a bit I don’t know too nice?”
“Can someone be too nice?” Catra rolled her eyes.
“Yeah like she’s always happy and she meditates all the damn time and I swear she thinks she’s my therapy.” Adora smiles at Catra rambling finally they have fallen into a comfortable atmosphere. “Like I appreciate the concern and all but I’m not a kid I can handle my own. Honestly I think her and Scorpia would fit perfectly together. They’ve hung out a few times and oh my god I thought I was going to fucking pass away watching them be all mushy with each other.”
“She sounds nice like a good person to be around.”
“She sounds annoying…...but she’s okay I guess.”
“You’ve changed.” Catra glances over at her as they pull down a dirt driveway leading to Scorpia place. Had they been talking that long? The time just flew by.
“Yeah, I have. You’ve changed too, though for the most part you seem the same, I can’t see your hair under that hat but I already know that dumb ass hair poof is still there.” Adora slows down the truck until they come to a stop. The lights in the house are on and Scorpia car is parked in front of them. Adora puts the truck in park and looks over at her.
“Hey! There is nothing wrong with my poof.” She smiles softly to her and Catra nods.
“You’ll lose all your hair if you keep it so tight.”
“Well for your information I only were the poof, the rest of it stays down.” Catra smirks and they fall silent again.
“I guess I should get going, it’s only a matter of time before Scorpia comes running out here.” She unbuckles her seatbelt and slides out the truck. Adora quickly follows suit and grabs the bag from the back. Catra heads over to meet her and grabs the bag, their hands graze over each other for a second and they both blush. “Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem! I uh, I don’t stay far from here. Just about a 10 minute drive. I could give you more rides. That’s if you need them of course! Just ya know, throwing the offers out there.” Catra smiles.
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” She walks up the small path to Scorpia door and knocks, it opens as soon as her fist make contact. She is attacked by a crushing hug. Adora waits by the car, mainly waiting to make sure she gets in safely. She grinds her teeth at the sight of Scorpia hugging Catra, so close, so tight. Their bodies were pressed so close together, what would they do when they entered the house and closed the door. Just how close of friends were they. Did they ever- she shakes her head, she shouldn’t think like that. She shouldn’t feel like that. Scorpia was a good friend and she was a peaceful Alpha there was no reason to feel threaten. Plus Catra said Scorpia was mushy with her other friend. Surely Scorpia didn’t have eyes for multiple woman. She’s taken from her thoughts by Scorpia calling out to her. Adora waves and smiles slightly doing her best to suppress her natural Alpha tendencies, instincts she never liked. Instincts she worked hard to over come. Catra offered her a small wave before the two walk inside and shut the door. Adora stands there for another moment before getting in her truck and head back down the road.