A/N - this is in the What Might Have Been universe, although you definitely don't need to read that in order to enjoy this. My advice, always go for the napkins. xoxo - tmtcltb

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AU. Sometime in the future...

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A Rose by Any Other Name

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"Napkins." Kara shouted out to the woman at the front of the auditorium, drawing a dirty look from Andrea.

"Why do you always take napkins?" Andrea muttered before calling out. "Juice boxes."

Kara shrugged. "Five kids. A job. No time.."

"I'll do decorations," Sasha pipped in.

"Overachiever," Kara whispered under her breath.

"Kiss-ass," Andrea added.

"Ashley," Sasha replied smugly. "She's working at the PX on weekends. She already set aside the best of the lot for me. Fifty bucks and PTA Mom is off my ass for the rest of the year."

"Damn, why didn't I think of that?" Andrea shook her head. "I call decorations for Christmas."

"Good, then I can get napkins again." Kara turned to Sasha. "Think Ashley can get me some that match the decorations?"

Sasha pulled out her phone, typing quickly. The response came almost instantaneously. "She asked how many packs?"

Unfortunately, their side chatter had drawn PTA Mom, aka Leslie's, attention. "Was there something that you wanted to add to the conversation, Mrs. Green?"

PTA Mom might be intimidating, but Kara hadn't become the captain of the Nathan James by being a shrinking violet. "I was offering to help Mrs. Chandler here."

Leslie beamed. "I love to see that sort of collaboration. It is exactly what the PTA is about. Now, let's move on to..."

"You know that I never changed my name," Sasha murmured as PTA Mom focused on her next victim.

"But it says Sasha Chandler right here on the official PTA list," Kara replied, pointing to the papers that PTA Mom distributed at the beginning of the meeting. "I'll give you fifty bucks if you tell PTA Mom that she got your name wrong."

Sasha shuddered. "Not a chance in hell."

Kara smirked, before returning to more important topics. "Ten packs of a hundred or as many packs of fifty as Ashley has."

Andrea snorted. "A thousand napkins? How many people live at your house again?"

"Maybe it's time to house-train Danny?" Sasha added.

"Funny," Kara replied, apparently unperturbed. "Wolf and Azima arrive back in the States next weekend and I'm stocking their kitchen. Azima will get a kick out of Halloween napkins. Besides, I can always reuse them next year."

At that moment, Alisha slid into the seat next to Kara. "What did I miss?"

"You're stuck with either a Halloween craft or candy apples," Kara replied, looking sympathetically at her best friend. "Something come up at the office?"

Before Alisha could answer, a voice sounded from the front of the chamber. "Ms. Granderson? Can I count on you for a craft or two?"

"Of course," Alisha croaked, sinking down in her chair as soon as PTA Mom's attention moved on. "I'm screwed."

Andrea patted her hand. "I'll send Diaz over to help. He's trying to get on my good side before he proposes to Kat. I'm taking full advantage."

"Ray?" Alisha wrinkled her nose. "No offense, but what does he know about crafts?"

"He was the counselor at a summer camp," Andrea informed them. "You might be surprised."

Kara chuckled. "You, Mrs. Nolan, are my inspiration."

Andrea blinked, before looking down at the list she was holding. "She didn't..."

"Oh yes," Sasha replied. "She definitely did."

xxxxx

Five miles away...

Danny Green checked his phone. "Score!"

Tex jogged over. "Good news then?"

"Yup." Danny checked the message. "Kara got napkins..."

"Of course she did," Carlton interrupted with a chuckle. "Does anyone else even try? Pretty sure the other parents are scared of her."

"Five kids," Danny replied absently, before continuing. "Sasha volunteered for decorations for some reason. But Andrea got juice boxes."

Tex grinned. "That's my girl. Red knows her business. How about Granderson?"

"Crafts," Danny murmured, frowning for a moment before he abruptly started laughing, flipping the phone around for Carlton and Tex to see.

Then, raising his voice to be heard over Carlton's laughter, Danny called across the field. "Hey Diaz! We've got a special project for you. Commander Garnett volunteered you personally. Said it was right up your alley."