warning: violence, mentions of pregnancy complications, abuse and sexual assault!

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"OKAY mom, let me know anything else when you get there." Cameron said goodbye to her mom, before hanging up. There were no updates on Carmen's condition. And of course Cameron was worried about the baby, but she cared more for the mother.

And she cared for Miguel, and how he was feeling. She wondered if she should've been more understanding about his concerns, and more encouraging.

But then there was Robby. The boy she disliked and then hated for a while. And now they were sort of a family. He had been living with her, sharing bathrooms, eating together and now they were co-captains.

She kind of loved him.

But he now lacked confidence, focus and it didn't help that his dad and surrogate brother were on a plane home whilst Robby was still miserable in Barcelona,.

Which why Eli thought it was a brilliant idea for everyone to clear their minds and go out clubbing.

"I'm not drinking," Cameron murmured, sipping on her coca-cola. Multiple teams besides her own were there. Drinking, dancing and distracting themselves from the next day. "I want a clear head."

"Yeah because we all know what happens when you drink." Lily joked.

Aisha's voice was heard, "Right."

Aisha was visiting the valley for the weekend to watch the rest of the tournament with Lily. Cameron wished the girl was fighting beside them.

Cameron playfully rolled her eyes, "Shut up."

"Any word from your mom or Amanda about Mrs Diaz?"

"Nada." Cameron sadly replied, keeping her phone to her ear.

"Well that's a good thing. If it was bad then they would've said." Lily said, hoping to comfort them all.

"Exactly." Aisha's face lit up. "And did you hear about Drew? His whole team is watching you fight between training."

Cameron smiled, "I know."

"You're doing amazing." Aisha praised.

"Thank you."

"And hey, let's hope that no brawls happen this time." Lily jested.

Cameron groaned, "And you've jinxed it."

"Yeah whatever, just keep an eye on my boyfriend."

"I will." Cameron craned her neck for the side to he was sitting with Demetri in a booth.

She heard Lily say, "Love you."

"Love you both." Cameron then put down her phone and returned to her drink.

It didn't feel right not to be there without miguel.

She had been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't noticed the Cobra Kai's enter the place. But her team did.

"Princess America," she heard someone say from behind her. It was Kwon.

His mischievous grin widened when he joined her by the bar.

She rolled her eyes, "what do you want?"

"Me?" He placed a hand to his heart. "Nothing, but you. I believe you want a true fighter soon enough."

She pulled a face at his intense stare, "a true fighter...is that supposed to be you?"

"Who else? All the Miyagi-do male fighters are foolish. They do not fight well. They let you down," he went on, leaning his elbows on the bar.

She snorted, "Is that right?"

"It is." He nodded, not taking his eyes off of her as he leaned closer, "And I know you have a thing for snakes."

"Not yours." She retorted, leaning back.

Her discomfort didn't go unnoticed.

Kwon's dark eyes lit up, "Witty, I like witty."

"Good for you." She hopped out of the chair, attempting to create some distance.

But before Kwon could step closer, Eli appeared next to her.

He greeted, "Hey CJ."

She weakly smiled at him.

Kwon chuckled, motioning between them, "Is this boyfriend number two?"

Eli scowled, "No, but she's like my sister."

"And do you always show your family spirit by fighting like an invalid?"

Cameron settled a hand on Eli's arm before he could move forward.

"Leave it Eli, he's trying to prove he's something he's not." She said.

Kwon's brow arched, "And what is that?"

"A champion." She deadpanned, dropping her hand, just as his grin fell from his face.

"And you think you are?" He scoffed.

"Strike first, strike hard, no mercy, right?" She stepped forward, seeing the irritation grow on his face. "That's old news. It's boring. Right?" Her eyes flickered over to an amused Eli.

He agreed, "Extremely."

"See we've been in your place. Many times."

Eli added, "Felt our egos enlarge and pride inflate."

"But when you miss the strike, when you don't hit hard and aren't merciless it makes you a worse person, a pathetic person." Cameron began to grin at Kwon's scowl. His friend Yoon appeared beside him. And Tory watched the scene from the other side of the bar. "I bet  Kreese told you to continue the fight off the mat because a warrior doesn't stop," she mocked, enraging him more. "Well I have some news for you. Listening to a senile war veteran about life experiences, doesn't translate to karate. It'll just get you hurt, and not always physically. So as I can see, your arrogance is the only thing you've got going for you besides your talent. And when someone takes you out, like Axel already has. You'll snap and lose it. And it'll get worse and worse —" she chuckled when he stepped closer to her, glaring in her face. "Ooops, did I hurt your feelings?"

"Watch yourself," Kwon warned.

"Whatever," she laughed in his face and turned to Eli. "Let's go back to our friends. Not teammates," her eyes travelled between Kwon and Yoon. "Friends."

Cameron eventually settled in a chair next to Robby. Eli returned to his conversation between Demetri and Devon.

"You really know how to piss people off." Robby commented.

Cameron innocently shrugged, "Hey, I was trying to avoid conflict. It's not my fault Kreese definitely has him on a mission."

Robby mumbled, "Yup, he does."

"Where's Sam?" She asked.

"Calling Anala outside."

"Cool." She drumbed her fingers on the edge of the table, "Did you hear that Kenny's coming? That'll be fun."

Robby shook his head, "So another person can see me fail?"

"No. So you have another person who'll support you." Cameron tried.

Robby discarded her words, his gaze drifted back to his glass, "I'm thinking I should add something to this drink."

"Like what?"

"Rum."

She scrunched up her face in confusion, "You don't drink. You shouldn't drink Robby." She emphasised gaining his attention. "I know everything is getting to you. I'm sorry I wasn't more supportive before but, you need a distraction and alcohol won't help." She reached out and grabbed his hand. An action that was caught by Tory as well as Zara. "I know that more than anyone. I know that if what happened to you happened to me I would be off my game. But I'm also captain. So you have to ask yourself if you deserve it or not. Once you know the answer, own it."

Robby sighed. Doubts swam through his mind, not just his own, the teams, and Miguel's. It was hard not to listen. He just wanted them to subdue. It would've been easier had Tory been there, on his side. On their side. But she wasn't. And here he was, fighting the urge to drink.

He finally breathed out, "Okay."

Cameron studied him for a moment, and nodded.

She cast him a smile when she got up, "I'm gonna get some air. Message me when you get back to our room. We should get some hot chocolate and try to watch something before bed."

"Yeah, sure. And I'm umm... is your location on?"

"Of course. I won't be long. Just want to see the beach."

It didn't take long for Cameron to stumble onto the beach. The city lit up with beautiful sights. The air was crisp even at night. The ocean waves gently swayed under the moonlight.

If only Miguel was there to see it with her.

Her footsteps carried her further away from the roads. When she turned her head, her eyes narrowed onto the half naked body. Axel was training even at this late hour. His movements were sharp despite the chill in the air.

He paused when he saw her.

She quickly apologise, "Oh, sorry, I... Sorry, I... I didn't mean to startle you." She said, nearing closer to him. "Um... I'm Cameron, by the way."

He awkwardly glanced away, "Axel."

"Nice Kata. What's it called?"

He took a moment to reply, "I... I am not supposed to speak with opponent."

"We're not on the mat." A smile tugged at her lips. "It's pretty late to be training."

"Always time for training." He stiffly responded.

When he bent over, her eyes widened at the bruises on his back.

"Whoa, whoa!" She uttered, stepping closer. "What happened to your back?"

He hastily pulled on his vest.

"Uh, from bo staff competition." He lied.

"Nobody's been able to land a point on you yet." She exclaimed, and he shifted awkwardly. "I saw what happened with your Sensei."

"My Sensei wants me to be the best. It's because of him I never lose." He defended.

"There are other ways of teaching. More encouraging ways," she paused. "I mean, I gotta admit, your dojo's pretty great."

Axel's gaze snapped back to hers, "Thank you. You're pretty..." he stammered. "Your... your dojo's pretty good too."

"We try. We're all trying."

He pondered, then asked, "Mind if I join?"

"You wanna switch dojos?"

"Your walk." He gestured behind them. "I was going back to hotel."

"Oh, yeah." She chuckled. "Yeah, sure."

And they began walking together.

"You fought well." He said, breaking the silence after they left the beach.

She waved him off, "I was tired."

"But still, your perseverance led your team to victory." He praised her.

Axel had been shocked watching during the event, and he knew Zara was startled by her talents.

"We're not victors yet. There are more events," Cameron replied when they started walking through the pretty infrastructure.

Axel recalled, "Nose breaker. It is what they call you."

"Well I've been called worse," she laughed.

His brows furrowed, "Like what?"

"Things that might not translate." Her words draw a small smile from him. "Besides, I'm glad that my team made it here. I've only been on holiday a few times. So what do you think of Barcelona?"

"Reminds me of Koh Samui," he revealed, but it confused her.

"Wait, where is that? I'm still terrible about geography."

He answered, "Thailand."

"You've been to Thailand?" Her face lit up with intrigue.

"And Japan, China, Malaysia, India, every country in Europe." He listed, surprising her.

"Oh, okay. Yeah, I got it." Cameron realised. "Other than a couple of trips across the country I haven't really been outside of America. But there's so much world to see." She grinned, "and Barcelona's not such a bad place to start." 

"What do you hope to see while here?" He questioned when they rounded a corner.

"I mean, everything. Las Ramblas, uh, Cascada Monumental." She began listing when they walked through a darker alleyway,  "Uh, I don't know, Park Güell."

"And end with fight for the world tournament of karate?" He joked.

She laughed, "Exactly."

"How cute." Kwon's voice faltered their steps. He appeared with Yoon beside him. "Little rival team play time, huh?"

"Like you tried to do before? And failed. That's cute." Cameron jabbed, then told Axel, "Ignore them."

She and Axel tried to go between them, but They were blocked.

"Say the magic words. Princess America." Kwon snarled.

"Move aside." She snapped.

Kwon glanced between them, "Wrong."

"Fuck off?" Cameron said, feigning confusing.

He menacingly grinned, and lowered down to her eye level as another teammate appeared behind the pair.

"Only if you say 'please.' And maybe something else from you," he said suggestively.

Axel's hand coiled into a fist. Yoon attacked first, kicking at his chest. The two fought.

Cameron's jaw clenched when Kwon patted his face.

"Hit me. Come on. Hit me." He egged her own. "Come on."

Instead she turned, striking out her foot to the Cobra Kai, charging at her.

"Come on, I'll take you both." Kwon stated, when the pair turned back to him. "Let's go."

Sirens were heard from the distance, Yoon pulled Kwon away, whilst Cameron did the same to Axel.

"Let's go. Let's go." She ushered him. "We gotta go!"

They sprinted back to the beach, fortunately evading the police and another fight.

Cameron panted, "Cobra Kai. Those assholes."

"Nice round kick." Axel exhaled.

"Nice counterstrike." She replied, "I cannot believe it was the second time tonight I had an altercation with them. I mean I used to be on Cobra Kai and that didn't go well." She revealed, standing tall, when she peered around him.

Cameron rambled missing how Axel stared at her. Her eyes which lightened under the moonlit sky, her braids which framed her face, and then her lips that drew him in.

"I think the coast is clear." She told him, only to reel back and placed a hand on his chest when he leaned in. "Whoa, whoa." She stammered, seeing the hurt on his face. "No."

"I... I'm... I... I'm sorry. I thought..." he trailed off, embarrassed.

"No, no, I'm... I... I have a boyfriend." She admitted. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea."

He stepped back, "Already after curfew. I... I must go. Sorry. Bye."

He rushed away leaving her confused and slightly guilty.

Perhaps she should've mentioned Miguel before. Or maybe she should've stayed away from him.

The same thoughts echoed through her mind when she made her way back to the hotel alone.

And even when she found that her hotel room was empty.

She called Robby a few times but received no answer.

She tried to sleep but couldn't. So she walked around hotel, between different floors in hopes it would make her tired.

"Cameron..." a quiet voice called out to her.

She turned around in her pajamas and glasses, she rubbed at her eyes when she saw Robby. Still sporting the same clothes she last saw him in, a distant look on his face.

"Hey, where were you?" She asked quietly when he shakily walked toward her.

"I was, umm, I think I was with Zara."

"What?" She held out a hand to him. "Explain it to me. I can make us some hot coco."

Robby tentatively took her hand and mustered up the words, those he could remember of the night he forgot. The drunken night he had no recollection of. It was hazy and his body felt foreign to him. He hardly looked at Cameron when he confessed what he thought he did as they returned to their room. He felt dirty and ashamed.

But she was fucking angry.

"Robby," she tried, barely concealing her true feelings. He sat at the edge of his bed, whilst she kneeled next to him. "You were drunk. You can't do anything when you're drunk. And you have a really low tolerance. Like me." She gulped. "So you're telling me, that you think you slept with Zara — who was what? Was she drunk?"

"I don't think so, no." He said, holding the side of his throbbing head.

"Oh," she pinched the bridge of her nose and stood up.

Taking her reaction the wrong way, he blurted. "I don't remember."

"Because you were drunk," Cameron stated, dropping her hand after seeing the hurt on his face. "I'm sorry, this isn't on you okay."

"Are you mad? I know Tory's your close friend."

She rapidly shook his head, "Robby, hey. I'm mad. Not at you." She reiterated. "You know you cannot consent to anything when you're drunk?"

She stared him, watching as the realisation only just breached his defeated face.

"Oh..." he whispered, shifting on his bed.

Cameron winced, "I'm sorry."

Robby shook his aching head, and said, "Umm, can I have that hot coco?"

"Yeah. You can." She forced a smile on her face. "And I'm — I'll run a bath for you."

"Yeah I must stink."

"Mmm." She hummed, turning away from him.

"Oh and Cameron," he called out.

She nodded, craning her neck to the side, "Yeah?"

"I really want some of your Mom's cooking right now."

Her eyes teared up, "So do I."

Cameron hardly slept. She wanted to keep an eye on Robby who tossed and turned. The hot chocolate hadn't helped them. The bath Robby submerged himself in, didn't make him feel clean. And the good news that Carmen was okay and Miguel and Johnny returning had only slightly allowed them to feel some sort of relief.

"Cameron." Robby greeted when she finished getting ready.

She mustered up a smile, "Robert."

"Can you not say anything about?..." he trailed off, obviously referring to the previous night.

"Of course I won't." She paused, "But just so you know, I will beat bitch Zara."

He sighed, "Cameron..."

"Now, let's go get something to eat."

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a/n:

the first thing i want to say is that carmen's pregnancy storyline shouldn't have happened. sorry, i just don't think she should've been pregnant, nor should she have been so accepting of it when it was confirmed. it confused me, especially with miguel, who only son was close to leaving the house, and the fact that she and johnny were just in the relationship and she had no concerns about potential health issues that came about. the writers treat carmen as a plot device for robby and miguel making up. plus why would she want a child with someone like johnny? 

secondly, the writers not acknowledging that robby was assaulted disgusts me. he was drunk and zara assaulted him. she saw him drinking at the bar and then targeted him. of course we don't know how and i don't want to but it was clearly and heavily implied. cameron of course acknowledges that he was assutled and tries her best to comfort him, without showcasing how pissed she is. the boy doesn't drink, everyone knows that but out of sadness and discouragement he chose to. it's horrible that the first time he does, he has to experience that. cameron will keep it to herself but she will get crazy when she see's zara again.