The first thing she notices is the pain radiating from the back of her head. As she continues to come to, she hears her name being called by various voices, but she can't necessarily recognize them. Becky opens her eyes then and tries to get up. The teammates around her push her back down into a sitting position. She flinches at the contact without realizing it. The memories of how she got on the ground start rushing back to her then.
"I need my phone. I have to call them back," Becky says. Everyone can hear the undertone of panic in her voice.
"Becky, the whole reason you ended up passing out is cause of that phone call. You need to take a minute," Lauren orders. She had been surprised by Becky's reaction to the team touching her. Lauren hadn't realized how bad things were until she saw no one else be surprised by it.
"I don't have a minute. Where's Ella?" Becky replies stonily.
"Mal and Rose took her and Jrue for ice cream," Kelley explains calmly. She's gotten used to this version of Becky even if she doesn't like it. "Before you call back, can you atleast tell us what happened," Kelley requests, knowing Becky will call regardless of what any of them have to say.
"It...um...was about Shawn. His...uh...convinction was overturned cause the judge was found guilty of being paid off in other cases and...they aren't going to persue a retrial," Becky explains shakily. She had started to stand up while she was explaining. "Sorry, to worry you all. I'm fine. I have to call my attorney back," Becky apologizes before grabbing her phone and walking out of the meal room.
"Are we really just going to let her leave?" Lauren asks incredulously. She can't believe that everyone is ok with letting Becky just walk off after having a panic attack.
"Cheney, we've been closer to this than you have. When she gets like this you have to let her be. She's not gonna do something stupid because of Ella. You gotta trust us," Ali explains. The rest of the team shakes their heads in agreement. They've learned over the past few months to let Becky have room to breathe. As long as Ella is around, Becky will be fine.
"I hope you guys know what you're talking about," Lauren replies, watching the retreating form of the blonde who was once her teammate.
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The team ends up winning their game in New Orleans. The veterans decide to go out and celebrate while the younger players stay back cause Mal can't drink yet.
"Becks, whose that?" JJ questions with a smirk. The braided defender had spent a majority of the night smiling at her phone. Julie had just enough alcohol in her system to ask the question on everyone's minds.
"Oh, it's no-one," Becky defends with a blush. Zola had been texting her congratulations on the win and told her how well she played.
"Uhuh, I'm sure," Julie says sarcastically. She rolls her eyes for good measure. Becky knows that the inquisition won't stop there so she excuses herself to use the bathroom.
"Great game, Rebecca," a voice calls out as Becky exits the women's room. The voice freezes Becky in place; she'll never forget it.
"Shawn, what are you doing here? You aren't allowed to be this close to me," Becky comments in reference to the PFA (protection from abuse order) that's in place. Shawn takes a step forward causing Becky to back into the wall of the narrow hallway.
"What? Can't I take a vacation after almost being incarcerated for most of my life? New Orleans seemed like a great place to celebrate," Shawn replies feiging ignorance. He knows exactly what he's doing.
"No, you actually can't," Becky snaps.
"Well, as long as nobody tells, it'll be fine. You aren't going to tell, right Rebecca? I'd hate for something to happen to your precious teammates because of it," Shawn comments. He's hitting Becky in one of the places they'll hurt most. She shakes her head 'no' as fear takes over. Shawn had tightly grabbed her arm to further pin her against the wall. "Good, I'll be seeing you around then. Turns out I'm taking a lot of vacations this year," Shawn finishes with a laugh. He gives Becky's arm another tight squeeze before heading into the men's room.
It takes Becky a few minutes to collect herself before heading back to the team's table. She can't let them know anything is wrong for their sakes. No one notices anything is wrong with her at first. It takes until the ride back to the hotel for Ali to ask, "hey, are you okay? You know Julie was just joking earlier, right? We all just like seeing you happy without it involving Ella for once."
"What?...oh, yeah. No, I'm okay. Sorry, I'm just tired. These first couple games back have really done me in," Becky lies easily. It's not entirely a lie but she still feels bad for doing it. The team had been there for her since she's told them the truth. She has to remind herself that this is to protect them.
"Ok, if you're sure," Ali replies, not entirely convinced by Becky's reply but she's not going to push it. She knows Becky will come to them when she's ready or atleast she hopes she will.
