AN: Thank you for all the reviews! This chapter will be Sasha's reaction to Payson's motherly side among other things.

Sasha watched Payson with Emily, tears streaming down his face. What was it about Payson that made him weep so much? It was unsettling. Sasha took pride in his non-crying, he thought it added on to his "no excuses for weakness" coaching strategy and image.

It would've been hard not to cry for anybody no matter how tough they were, he thought. It was such a sentimental and sweet moment between the five girls, and he debated whether or not to join them. It was when Payson said that they all loved him very much that he couldn't resist anymore. Kaylie scooted over for him so he could sit next to Emily.

"We know it will be hard for you, Emily, but we need to report this man to the police. Do you remember at all what he looked like?"

"Yes," Emily said, sniffling a little.

"Good, we're all going to go to the police station together. We'll stop on the way and go to your house and see if your mother is there. We've been having a couple of problems reaching her."

"She works the morning shift at Bodacious Boulders today," Emily said, wiping her eyes and regaining her composure. "I can tell you the number. I have it in my phone."

"That would be great," Sasha said. He looked up, and saw Payson looking at him. He winked, hoping to see her smile. It worked. She smiled so wide she had to turn away so Emily wouldn't see her.

"Okay," Emily said, pulling out her phone.

"I thought you didn't have a phone, Em, is it new?" Kaylie asked.

Emily nodded. "I got it instead of a house phone for the apartment," she said, "it was cheaper. So, are you dialing?" Sasha nodded. "Okay." Emily read him the number.

"Bodacious Boulders, Boulder Colorado, this is Moxie speaking."

"Yes, hello, may I please speak to Chloe? It's an emergency."

"Bambi," Emily whispered, "they make her go by Bambi at work."

"Oh, sorry," Sasha said in the phone, "I meant Bambi. I need to speak to Bambi. Tell her it's Sasha Belov calling about her daughter."

Chloe was on the phone in another minute. "Sasha? What did you say about Emily? Why is it an emergency? I just turned my cell phone on, why do I have 13 messages? What's going on?"

"There's no time to tell you over the phone, but could you please meet us with Brian at the police station? Emily needs to report somebody, and she could really use your support."

"What happened, Sasha?"

Sasha sighed. "Chloe, Emily was leaving the train station, and a man pulled her into an alley and raped her. We're going to the police station to report him. Emily needs you to be there with her, along with all of us."

Chloe's heart leaped. Her mind raced into panic mode. "I'm coming. Right now, but, Sasha, who are you talking about when you say 'all of us'? Is Damon with her?"

"No, we haven't gotten a hold of Damon yet, but Payson, Kaylie, Lauren, and Kelly Parker are here."

Chloe blinked. Kelly Parker of all people was with her daughter, supporting her, and she was still talking on the phone with a man she could be getting information from while having her arm around Emily, consoling her. "I'll be there in five minutes."

She ran out the door, not even acknowledging her boss, who called after her, "Where are you going? You don't get off for another two hours!"

At the police station, Emily stood bravely in front of the police officer, describing the man and all of his friends that stood by and watched. She described what he did to her, how, and what he said to her. Payson, Kaylie, and Lauren went up with her, their arms linked. Kelly stayed behind to call all of their mothers, no doubt worried out of their minds, and tell them what happened.

Chloe Kmetko raced in the door, Brian coming up behind her. She ran to Emily, and gave her the biggest hug possible with her growing stomach. Brian watched next to Payson. He said to her, "If they ever catch the bastard I'll make sure he never messes with my sister ever again."

Payson took his hand. "That makes two of us."

Sasha heard this exchange and didn't doubt that Payson would be true to her word. The girl was tough, and could definitely throw a punch. Sasha, of course, being the adult and the "role model", could not drop to that level should they catch the man.

However, he could give Payson a few tips on how to knock the guy unconscious.

"We have to get to the Rock," Kaylie said, "we're at least two hours late, but if you need us," she said to Emily, "we can stay, no problem."

"No, you should train. I watched Worlds on TV. Payson, that one foot landing on vault was phenomenal," Emily said, "and Kaylie, your floor was really wonderful too, and Lauren's beam was great as always," Lauren smiled, "and Kelly," Kelly looked up, surprised to be mentioned by the girl whose spot on the National Team she had taken away, "they couldn't have won without your bars. Payson, can I talk to you, just for a second?"

"Sure," Payson said, a little surprised. "What do you need?"

Emily pulled her aside. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm supposed to be asking you that."

"With Sasha," Emily added with a meaningful look on her face. Payson looked at one of her best friends in the world and didn't know what to say.

"W-what d-do y-you mean?" she stuttered. Emily rolled her eyes and smiled. "Okay," Payson demanded, "tell me. Why wouldn't you think I'd be okay? And what does Sasha have to do with anything?"

"Payson," Emily said, "don't play dumb. It was all your subtle comments and mentioning him when you were talking to Miranda…and when he winked at you your face lit up like a Christmas tree…" Payson crossed her arms over her chest, knowing where she was going with this. "You would tell me if you had feelings for him, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would." Payson looked over her shoulder at the rest of them. They were all engrossed in conversation, except, she noticed, for the man they were discussing. He was staring at them, as though he suspected something but wasn't sure what it was. Payson pulled Emily farther from them. She didn't want anybody to hear what she was going to tell her. "And…and I do," she added, "I really do. I feel the same way about him that you do about Damon, but I doubt the feelings are mutual…since…well, I'm seventeen and he's supposed to be like a second father to me, but he isn't, you know? Every time I watch him be so nice to Becca when she's having one of her mood swings, or see him interact so well with my mom, it's like winning at Worlds, I'm just suddenly so happy, and I feel like the Olympics aren't just a crazy dream. He can help me get there, and I admire him for that, but that isn't the only reason I love him. Whenever he speaks to me, and only me, I feel like I get to know him just a little bit better than everyone else, and when he stops talking I want him to open his mouth and say something else. There's never going to be anyone else like him.

"He's amazing, and he acts like this scary principal but really I know he cares deeply about us, and me, too, even if it's not in the way that I'd like. And that's enough for me, it really is, just knowing I can be around him, see him, and talk to him, that's enough. I don't need for him to love me romantically the way I do for him, I just need him to be around me, and I'm happy. I'm not just infatuated with him, Em, I really think it's the kind of love my parents have for one another.

"My mom describes it as accepting the good and bad qualities of a person and loving all parts of them. I do that with Sasha. All the things I don't agree with him on I accept that that's just a part of him that's different from me, and I should love how different we are, too. It's like that Beatles song my parents danced to at their wedding, 'In my Life.' There are lots of things I'm grateful for and wouldn't want to live without, but when I think about all these people and places I love, nothing compares to him, no matter how much older than me he is."

Emily gazed at Payson and saw that look in her eyes that she saw in Damon's eyes when he talked about her and Miranda. "I need to tell you something, Payson." Emily fiddled with the chain around her neck, pulling up what Payson originally assumed was a pendant, but then saw more clearly. It was a diamond ring. "My pregnancy fingers are too fat for me to wear this on, so I put it on a necklace. Damon and I are getting married after Miranda is born. We're not getting married because of her, either. He's not marrying me because we're having a child. He's marrying me because he truly loves me, and I love him too, the way you just described it.

"Miranda is," she searched for the right word to describe her baby, "a symbol. She's a symbol that we're going to be a real family, just like you have with your parents and Becca. Some people might say it's the wrong order to do things, and I agree with them. I should have waited until I was married to have Miranda, but now that she's coming, I don't think it matters so much anymore. I'm going to be happy, and it doesn't matter what order I got the things that will make me happy. Things are going to turn out okay for me. I'm going to school, you know, and Damon's album is coming out next month. We've worked out the finances. I hate it when a teenager gets pregnant, and people act like there's no hope for her. I can have my daughter and still have a happy life. She isn't a mistake. She's a blessing, just like Summer said. I think Summer could be more open minded, but in my case, she was right."

"Em, I'm so happy for you." Payson gave her friend a hug.

"And I'm happy for you, too, Payson. I know you probably won't believe me, but I see it in his eyes when he looks at you. He does love you. I don't know how soon either of you will realize it, but in the end it'll work out."

"Do you really think so?" Payson asked her.

"I do," she said, "no pun intended."