Disclaimer: I don't own Make or Break it, if I had there would've been some serious pairing changes
"Come on then" he says and turning they walk onto the mat.
Its a few hours later when they sit down having perfected her new routine and with it she was going to wow the NGO and Coach McIntire, calling Payson safe was not a compliment.
"So what's been happening here?" asks Sasha.
"A lot besides Lauren's heart problem, it was weird adjusting to a new coach and it did not start off well, but then he invited us over to have a bonding session and it was actually quite eventful, in good ways and bad" explains Payson.
"I know adjusting to a new coach really isn't easy, what did he do that made it a bad start though?" ask Sasha.
"He had this board where he ranked us, then he paired us all up, Lauren and I were put together so it wasn't too bad, we designed routines for each other and ours went quite well actually, we've been roomies and we've grown a lot closer because of it, Coach McIntire explained that he put us together because thought we'd been on the same team we've never totally trusted each other and now we do, I know everything and so does she" smiles Payson.
Sasha thinks on that, he wasn't sure if Payson knew about Lauren's involvement in sending the video to Ellen Beals and he if she didn't he wasn't sure whether to not tell her so he didn't ruin this happiness or to tell her because he hated not telling her.
"So what happened at this bonding session that worked so well?" asks Sasha.
"He explained things to us and realised coaching female gymnastics come with much more drama than coaching male gymnastics, we're good now he's helped me in some ways, not so much in others, but he's been so great with Jordan and with everything she's been through I can't even imagine, I get why she was such a bitch to start with now" sighs Payson.
"It is tragic, so you said good and bad things" prompts Sasha.
"Oh yeah well the bad thing was a bad thing but also a good thing, I'm pretty sure you already know, Lauren sent the video to Ellen Beals" says Payson.
He looks away, "I'm sorry Payson I wanted to tell you but I had to put aside my personal feelings because I'm her coach and she needs me, particularly before she went onto beam at Worlds, and I didn't want to ruin Worlds for you" explains Sasha.
"I understand, I get why you didn't even though technically Kelly told me, because she and Kaylie found out and then Jordan heard them and she tried to tell me so it all came out" says Payson.
"And how are things with Lauren?" asks Sasha.
"Not a hundred per cent but for once she's willing to accept she did something wrong and understand that her actions had huge consequences for me and for you, like I said to her we'll be okay and then this thing with her heart and I suppose since she did technically in a completely twisted sense set me up with Rigo though it was supposed to be a different guy but practice ran over so Lauren told Rigo to tell the other guy about the change in time but instead he came himself, said he was happy to sabotage his friend if he could be with me" smiles Payson and Sasha can see the glow on her face, he'd never seen her this happy about something that wasn't gymnastics related.
"Yes well as long as you can juggle both" says Sasha.
"I can and like I told him he helps me, he was there for me when Lauren hated me for telling about her heart problem, and I wouldn't have but I just kept imagining her falling and I know first hand how bad a fall can be, and then he went with me to find Doctor Walker though he did say he was to get the added bonus of being with me for the whole weekend" smiles Payson.
Sasha tries to ignore the implication in that sentence.
"Plus he's really sweet, while we were at Coach Mac's house he turned up out of the blue and asked for five minutes to talk to me, I thought he was going to get murdered and had it been you I know he would have been, but Coach Mac gave me the five minutes, and that kind of brushed away some of the darkness given by Lauren's confession" smiles Payson the happiness coming off her in almost palpable waves.
"So I may not technically be your coach but after Emily please just be careful Payson I cannot go through that again and your so close" pleads Sasha.
"Don't worry same old level headed I want my gold medal Payson" assures Payson.
"Good because like I said I kind of want mine back" he laughs.
"And you will, hell with any luck I'll have enough of my own to be quite satisfied" laughs Payson.
"Well as long as your friend Rigo is not as much of an arse than Carter Anderson then we'll be just fine, though I can honestly say I've nevr gotten a call from on my gymnasts boyfriends before, I will admit it took me a few moments to process that you even had a boyfriend" admits Sasha.
"Yeah, Lauren has had similair reactions though she's got her wrestler now" giggles Payson.
"Oh wonderful, do all the rock girls have boyfriends now?" asks Sasha in an exasperated voice.
"Well actually Austin and Kaylie have kind of broken up, he got mad when he didn't make the team and Kaylie was devastated but I hope he comes to his senses he's been so good for her, even if he does have a slightly weird view on how a girl should be sexy" says Payson.
Sasha looks at her eyebrows raised, "do I want to know?" he asks.
"Well while we had Darby she made us all swap routines and I had to do Lauren's while she did mine and well Lauren's routine is not exactly conventional and while I'm much more comfortable with myself now I do not have the sizzle" explains Payson.
"And how does Austin fit into this?" asks Sasha.
"Well he offered to help me, and he tried a variety of stuff one of which was to try and get in touch with the inner cat he says is inside each girl and watching him on the floor meowing and making scratching motions I walked out" giggles Payson.
"Austin Tucker is certainly an interesting person" agrees Sasha.
"Yeah but he did help in a way but I managed it and I must say I did it pretty well myself" smiles Payson.
"I'm sure you did Payson when you set your mind to something nothing it stopping you" agrees Sasha.
"True but I owe a lot of the fact I'm here now to you Sasha, I was ready to give up after my back and then even after my surgery but you wouldn't let me, even if I did have to fly all the way to Romania to drag your ass back here" smiles Payson.
"I only handed you the tools Payson you did this all by yourself, so many people wouldn't have been able to do it but you did and you just keep amazing people, am I going to see another one footed vault at the Olympics?" he teases.
"Only if I need to I think I'll stick with bars and floor and then maybe the all around, but I'm coming home with at least one individual medal and I am going to crush Ivanka and Gengi, Team USA is going to continue their comeback" smiles Payson.
"With you at the helm Payson Keeler I do not doubt it in the slightest" he smiles.
"But seriously thank you Sasha I know this job has not been easy for so many reasons but thank you" says Payson.
"It's worth it Payson" he assures her and pulls her into a hug.
"Can I run through it one more time then call it quits?" she asks.
"Oh yes still the same Payson, go on then" he chuckles as she gets up to perform her new routine.
The next day as Sasha looks at the new Olympic team he could not be prouder that three of the five were all his gymnasts, he'd promised to get them to the Olympics and he knew they'd make a huge splash and like he'd said he really believed they had a chance to take this and dominate and he had never been prouder, Lauren had a potentially fatal heart defect, Payson had broken her back and Kaylie had battled an eating disorder and yet here they all stood and despite what Payson said he knew it was all them.
A/N So this is just a oneshot but reviews are still appreciated good or bad
