What The Heart Wants

For The Defense

When Ali arrived at Concourse E to meet up with her traveling mates, she saw Steph McCaffrey on the ground, Kristie and Savannah kneeling beside her, and Greg in handcuffs with a pair of officers on either side of him. As they hauled the man away, he yelled at the Hearts' captain, "All of you are dirty dykes and I hope that new hag of yours knows how much of a slut you are." Ali walked over and slapped him. "Got you dead to rights now, Alexandra!" Ali walked over to the other three and helped them get Steph off the ground, then they walked over to the terminal entrance and headed down to the gate for their flight to Boston. Once Steph had sat down, Ali looked her over.

Ali: What happened back there?

Steph: You want the short version or the long one?

Ali: Short. We don't have a lot of time before they will call for boarding.

Steph filled Ali in on the argument that started between her and Greg the minute she, Kristie, and Savannah arrived in Concourse E. Without Steph Labbe around, Greg decided to take a run at Steph and began to insult Kristie and Sam, claiming he had evidence that the three of them were engaged in some kind of swapping arrangement involving Abby. After closing the gap and getting into his face, Steph began reciting some of the opposition research she had conjured up on him while sitting at Dunkin' Donuts, which included three arrests for domestic violence, claims of abuse in two of his divorce trials, and academic dismissal from Temple for plagiarism. He made a threat to out her former teammate Julie Ertz based on what he had seen earlier that day, which caused her to spit in his face. Greg then reached back and decked the forward.

After the four of them were seated on the plane, Ali asked one of the flight attendants if she could get a bag of ice for Steph to keep down the swelling on her jaw. Steph sat between Kristie and Ali, with Ali on the aisle and Savannah across from her. Kristie kept the bag against Steph's face as she rested her head on her shoulder. Once the plane had leveled off following takeoff, Kristie and Steph switched seats so that the former could talk with Ali and the latter could lie back and rest.

Kristie: I've got an idea for the PSA. Steph's actions this past week, and especially today, proved to me that she is the person I want to be my protector always. I'm thinking about asking her that at the end of the filming.

Ali: What?! YOU propose to Steph? That's so not like you.

Kristie: I know, but if I wait for her to do it, it might be two, three years before she gets to that point. We both know that we're in this for the long haul, so why put off the decision?

Ali: I hear ya. I think Ash and I were close to that point once, but I wasn't ready to be out at the time.

Kristie: So how will you tell her about it being over?

Ali: I don't know. I feel like there is no use in trying to dance around it, especially with the buffoon up here chomping at the bit to out me.

Kristie: You gave him a pretty good smack.

Ali: He earned it. Harassing me for two weeks now, and then going on to insult me and insinuate that I am cheating on someone that I haven't even admitted I am with.

Kristie: Steph loves you, you know that, right? The way she stands up for you, the look in her eyes when you're around her, the pride she took on Thursday night seeing what you put together. She really is into you, and I hope the two of you get to where my Steph and I are.

Ali: Thanks. I hope you get the YES when you ask her, and I'll do what I can to help you pull that off.

The two middies side-hugged before Ali switched with Kristie and talked for a few minutes with Steph, thanking her for her defense of everyone this week and her especially on Wednesday and Thursday. Steph acknowledged Ali's gratitude and told her that she had a real winner in her Steph, as how she has defended her and shown her love through it is the same way that she does for Kristie, Sam, and Abby, which is why she was willing to take a punch in standing up to Orlandini.