A.N.: This story takes place right after the episode Hungary Heart, after Emily finds out about being pregnant. Take a short flight across the Atlantic, and voilà!

A good sacrifice is one that is not necessarily sound but leaves your opponent dazed and confused. – Nigel Short


Emily didn't know who to turn to. Her world had been turned upside down, and for once, she could only blame herself. It wasn't her mother's fault, or one of her many boyfriends' fault, or even the NGO's fault. It was all her, and her stupid teenage hormones, and her poor decision making skills. Well, maybe that one was partly her mother's fault.

She had friends, but even without calling them, she knew what they'd say. Payson would tell her to focus on her gymnastics, to not lose sight of the dream she's had for as long as she could remember. Kaylie would never tell her what to do, and while that was usually one of the things she loved about her, it wouldn't work tonight. She needed someone to tell her how to make this decision, someone who wouldn't bullshit her, but would also listen to her give her side of the story. She had no idea what Lauren would say, but she didn't consider her a friend. Besides, Lauren would probably end up blackmailing her, scared that this would somehow screw up her perfect life. What this had to do with Lauren, Emily didn't know, but she always found a way to make it about her.

Emily was hit by a stroke of genius, and quickly pulled out her phone and dialled.

"Emily, hey, you're back!" said the male voice on the other end of the line.

"Yeah," she said in a soft, shaky voice.

"What's wrong?"

"I... I..." she started, but she couldn't form the words.

"Where are you? I'm coming to get you."

"I'm at the park near my house," she managed to say, but not without some difficulty. She was starting to hyperventilate.

"Ok, I'm on my way. I'll be there in ten minutes, ok? Don't move."

He hung up, and Emily was left in the silent darkness of the park.


He was in his car even before he had hung up with Emily. He'd considered taking his motorcycle, but if she was upset and needed to go somewhere, it wasn't a good idea. He broke the speed limits getting there, but he barely noticed how fast he was driving, too concerned about his friend. He started making up worst case scenarios until he remembered who he was thinking about. Emily had a tendency to make things seem worse than they are, to make a mountain out of every little thing. She saw things in black and white, right and wrong, and while he liked her righteousness, it often meant drama.

When he arrived at the park, though, he clearly saw her distress. She was sitting on a bench, her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She looked up at him when he arrived, and even with the poor lighting he saw the tears on her face. The expression of agony she wore broke his heart. He knew instantly this wasn't her usual drama. Something had happened, something that was going to change the course of her life.

He sat down next to her slowly so as not to spook her, and started running his hand in circles over her back.

"Austin," she started saying, and then broke down in sobs. He quickly gathered her in his arms, and she hung onto him tightly, crying in his chest.

"Shhhh, it's okay, I'm here. It's okay, Emily, whatever it is, I'll fix it." He continued to whisper words of comfort to her, and after a while, she calmed down enough to pull away.

She wiped the tears off her face, and he found a tissue in his pocket and handed it to her. Her breathing was still harsh , but overall she seemed to have better controlled herself . The alpha male in him demanded to know what was wrong, demanded to know who had hurt her this way, and it demanded to know right away so he could fix it.

But he told himself to be patient, and he applied one of his father's many wisdoms: when a woman is upset, she just wants to be listened to. He'd made that mistake when they were in Denver. Instead of being the shoulder he told Emily she could lean on, he'd tried to get her to see how wrong she was. He had to admit, in hindsight, that if he'd been in her situation he would have probably reacted the way she had.

"I screwed up," she said without preamble. "And now Damon's gone, and I don't know how to fix it. This one's all my fault, and I know you said I don't take responsibility for my actions, but this time, I do. I know it was all me, but I just, I don't know what to do." She started to get upset again, so she took a deep breath. She really looked at Austin for the first time since he arrived, and she saw nothing but compassion on his face. For some reason, it only made her want to cry again.

"Is this about what happened in Hungary? You made one mistake, Emily. That coach shouldn't have pulled you."

She shook her head. "No, this is worse than that, so much worse..." She took a deep breath, and then looked back down at her hands and closed her eyes. "I'm pregnant."

Austin's jaw dropped, and he had to remind himself to breathe. He'd been right after all, this was worse than any of her other drama. It would definitely turn her life upside down, not to mention her career.

"When did you find out?" he finally asked. She still hadn't looked up at him again.

"After the meet. They drug-tested us, and it showed up in my results. Sasha was with me when I found out. He said... he said he'd give me 24 hours to tell the father." She laughed ironically.

"Well, where is he?"

"I broke up with Damon before leaving for the meet. I was jealous of him and Kaylie because they get to spend so much time together, and he said that they were just friends, but it was messing with my head. And I wanted to concentrate on my career, I was ready to let it go this time, really ready, you know?" She finally turned, and he saw that tears had started forming in her eyes again. "And then the minute I got back I went to his apartment, but all of his stuff was gone. All of it. And Kaylie told me he said goodbye yesterday, but he didn't want to tell her where he was going because he didn't want anything to do with me anymore. And I tried his cell phone, but his number was disconnected."

Who does that? Austin thought, but then he remembered that Damon was an artist, and they had a reputation for drama, too.

"So now I have to tell my Mom, and the NGO, that I'm going to have a baby because I was too impatient to have sex with my boyfriend before I wasn't allowed to see him anymore. And my career will be ruined, and don't ask me how the hell I'm going to support this baby because I have no idea."

She leaned back on the bench, and looked up at the sky. Austin took a deep breath, trying to process everything she had just told him. He took her small hand in his and looked up as well. The clear night reminded him of why he loved Boulder, the small city's artificial lights weren't so numerous they outshined all the stars. He could see some of them, the brighter ones at least, and he made out the big dipper right above them.

Emily felt much calmer now that Austin had arrived. She didn't know what she thought would happen when she called him, but he seemed to be the only person she could turn to, the only one she could lean on. He was a strong person, and not just physically, that much she knew after meeting him only a few times. It took a lot of strength and dedication to get to the Olympics, and while he liked to look like a frivolous party boy, she knew better. He knew what it took to get to the top, to be the best, and she admired the balance he had in his life. He worked hard, and he knew how to have fun, but he never got distracted. It was something she had never accomplished, but something she had always strived for. She didn't want to be like Kaylie and Payson, all work and no play, or like Lauren, all play and all talent, but no discipline. She knew there was a middle ground somewhere, and Austin seemed to have found it.

The warmth of his hand in hers comforted her. He was tall, strong, and solid next to her, and while she was a self-proclaimed feminist, she had to admit it was nice to have a man beside her, supporting her.

All of a sudden, he took his hand away from her and turned on the bench to face her. She could feel he had something to tell her, and she turned too, mimicking his position. She braced herself for a lecture, but what she saw in his eyes wasn't judgement or contempt.

"I'll be your baby's father," he declared.


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