A/N I'm SOOOOO sorry for the long wait, I have no proper excuse. Finals and stuff are no good enough reason to make you all wait this long… please forgive me!
I do not own MIOBI nor its characters
Payson and Sasha disappeared after 2012 and for years nobody knew where they were, but what happens when they come back years later, only they aren't alone.. What will the gymnastics world think of this?
No doubt
It didn't take Lily long to finish everything and before they knew it the house was theirs. The move in on the other hand takes a lot more time. They have to get new furniture and all the supplies for their private gym. Not an easy task with four children, all with very different demands. Sasha never really liked shopping in the first place and he made the mistake to take all of his children to the store and let them pick out the furniture they wanted for their rooms. Payson's doing the rest of the house, so in his mind it's the least he can do. It didn't take the boys long to find everything, but then he had to help Alex. His little girl Alex, who loved everything glittery, pink and fluffy. In the end he bought her almost everything so he could go home and do some manly activities. He needed that, really needed that.
That's how Payson finds him. In their temporary bedroom, playing guitar hero and drinking a beer.
"It couldn't have been that bad!" She says as she sits down on their bed.
"It was pink and fluffy." He sighs when he comes to sit next to her. "Two things I'm not very good with. Next time I'm letting you pick the interior, that way I know it's going to look gorgeous." He smiles sheepishly, knowing the compliment won't hide his plea.
"Nice try, I do the entire house, you only have to make sure the kids get what they like. And I hope there won't be a next time to be honest."
"Me too love, me too. This is home, and when we want to go to Romania, we have our other home. That's more homes than I ever thought I'd have."
"Ooh sweetie." Payson puts her arms around her husband. Her broken and confused husband. He won't ever admit, but being a father, having a family and friends, was not something he saw for himself. He never told her, but she knows how difficult it had been the first time he confessed his feelings for her. Sasha had a broken childhood and it never really got resolved. Becoming a dad fixed some of his fears, but not all. He never did have the feeling he fit in with the normal world. Within his family, within hers. She was glad he at least felt at peace within their own family. Coming back to the States would hopefully make the bonds between her family and Sasha stronger, and the doubts he has weaker. "You'll always have a home now, you know that."
"Yeah I know, it's just something I've always wanted. And now that I have it, this wonderful amazing family, I don't know if I'm doing it right. Even after four children I'm still afraid I'll turn into my father and scare them away." He didn't want to admit this to Payson, but he's been feeling it for years and he knows she can something has been bugging him.
"You are not your father and you never will be. You are too loving and too caring. You're an amazing dad, and you children know it. And Boris has come a long way. He's an amazing grandfather for our children. Right now we couldn't ask for more. Where is all this coming from anyway? I thought you'd come to terms with your past and your dad?"
"I had." Sasha sighs. "But then we decided to move back to America. I don't know if he can forgive me for that. I left for England, we take our children back to the States. The second generation that won't compete for his country. You saw how hurt he was."
Payson can only sigh. It's a delicate and very difficult situation. They have no obligations towards Romania, but the look on Boris' face did break her heart. Though he must understand where they're coming from. "Maybe with time it won't be so bad. Maybe he'll understand." She tries, giving her husband a small peck on the cheek.
"Maybe." He returns her peck with a more intense kiss on the lips. "Let's not talk about it anymore." His kiss gets more intense, guiding Payson down on the bed. She willingly takes him into her arms, surrendering to his need to feel save, to feel at home and loved.
Payson wakes up early the next morning. After an exhausting, but satisfying (really satisfying) night Sasha's still asleep next to her. It doesn't happen very often that she gets to see him asleep. Softly she caresses his cheek, remembering the conversation they had the night before. She knew he still had his issues, but not that they were this big. She's determined to make those doubts and worries disappear. And she has the perfect solution for the beginning of the process. Without waking her husband she leaves the warmth of their bed, taking her cell phone with her.
She dials the number of the only person right for this job. "Hi Lauren. I didn't wake you did I? Good, because I need your help with something. Could you come over today?"
#
"Dad I need you to get Sasha out of the house, and away from our new one today." Mark looks up from his morning paper to see Payson and Lauren standing in front of him. When did Payson get up? When did she come downstairs? WHEN did Lauren get here? The confused look on his face must have been obvious because the two girls start smiling.
"We want to make some arrangements for the housewarming this Saturday, but it has to be a surprise for Sasha. Can you make sure both of you are out an about all day long? You can take the boys if you want." She looks at her dad hopefully, just like she would when she was younger, wrapping her dad around her finger without him realizing it.
"Uhm, sure. We could go fishing or something. Would the boys like that?" He suggests.
"That would be perfect. I'll wake them. Could you leave in like an hour?"
"Just nod Mr. Keeler." Lauren says laughingly when he takes a moment to ponder about all the supplies he needs for this day. He complies and his daughter starts laughing as well. He smiles to himself, it's not like he ever stood a chance against her in the first place.
"Thank you daddy." He gets a kiss on the cheek from both girls before they hurry off, Lauren already calling on her phone and Payson off to wake the boys and Sasha. When she comes back she's also on the phone, making all kinds of arrangements. He doesn't even want to know.
"What's going on there?" A confused and still slightly sleepy Sasha asks suddenly. He jumps at the sound of Sasha's voice, geesh were do all these people come from without making a noise.
"I don't want to know." He refills his mug and offers Sasha one too.
"Thank you, why do I have a feeling I'm going to need this caffeine today?"
"Because we're going to take your boys out fishing."
"Payson put you up to this?" Sasha smiles softly, he has a feeling this has to do something with the way he acted last night. "Because she won't tell me anything, hardly got a good morning out of her."
"Yes, but Lauren is to blame too."
"Lauren's here?" Sasha looks around, trying to spot the perky blonde, but he doesn't see her.
"She's like a ninja, only pops up when she wants to be seen." Mark answers dryly and Sasha can't help but snicker.
"That sounds terrifying."
"It is, they attacked me this morning, didn't even finish my first cup of coffee. It's too early on a free day to have this much energy thrown at you." Sasha laughs again, he kind of likes this grumpy, sarcastic Mark.
"Shall I take a look at the boys, see if they're ready to go?" Sasha offers, getting a grateful look. He can't help but tease his father in law just a bit. "We could eat breakfast somewhere else, where you feel save."
"I feel save in my own…" "Sasha!"
"Just kidding, Mark." He walks away with a big smile on his face. He knows these girls can be terrifying at times and now he has somebody to lean on when they corner him. This day seems to start a lot better than he thought.
#
"I don't know if this was such a good idea." Sasha admits a couple of hours later, looking at his sons, running around in the grass besides the river. "I've never seen them this hyper."
"Do you remember your first fishing trip?" Is the only thing Mark offers him.
His first fishing trip had been with Boris. He'd gotten his first fishing rod when he was four, a present under the Christmas tree. The happy times from his childhood. They'd gone out so Boris could teach him how to use the equipment, but in the end it was his father who did all the fishing while he was running around in the grass. The present situation isn't really that different. "Yeah you've got a point there."
They stay silent for a while. Neither of them are much of a talker, they both rather enjoy the nature around them. Still Sasha can't shake off the feeling Mark is hiding something.
"So…" He says a little while later. "You have absolutely no idea what's going on with Lauren and Payson?" He gives the man a expecting look.
Mark's sigh and small smile give him away. "I've been sworn to secrecy. The only thing I can say is that they wanted you out of the house today."
"That's all I get?"
"That's all you get."
"Daddy, make Nicolai stop!" Dmitri shouts suddenly. The conversation is immediately dropped and forgotten as Sasha has to return to his role as father.
"Nicolai, behave." He scolds his son.
"Yes tată." He doesn't have to say more. He raised his boys right.
After that Dmitri doesn't want to play in the grass anymore. "You want to try to catch a fish?" The boy nods eagerly. Setting him up with his new fishing rod attracts the attention from his other boys and not before long they're all sitting alongside the river with their own rod. That's how they spend the rest of the afternoon. Sitting, waiting until a fish bites the bait. In the end they all catch a fish, and Dmitri even two. The proud look on his face makes him look exactly like Payson. Both men see the resemblance and can't help but smile.
"I just got a text from Payson. We're not allowed to come back yet." Mark tells Sasha, who's helping his kids clean up all the fishing gear. He looks at his grandchildren. "Who wants pizza!?"
"Did you have fun?" Payson asks.
"Yes we did." He smiles. "Going to tell me why you forced me out of the house today?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yeah, I bet you don't. I will find out for myself then."
"You can always try, but I'll never tell." She finishes the conversation cheekily. He only smiles and follows her back into her parents' house.
#
The sound of his youngest son screaming sends Sasha sprinting to his room. "Dmitri! Son, wake up." He shakes the boy awake, speaking softly so he won't scare his son.
"Daddy, I had a bad dream." Dmitri sobs, even though he's trying really hard not to.
"What was it about?" Sasha asks, turning on the nightlight.
"I was in a dark room and there was something outside. And then I was at the lake where we caught the fish… the fish was really angry daddy." Sasha has to work really hard not to laugh. His son is having a nightmare about angry fish, it doesn't get any funnier than that. Nevertheless, he takes his son onto his lap and puts his arms around him.
It's alright, we set the fish free remember, he's got nothing to be angry about." He sooths the boy. Slowly his breathing returns to normal.
"I don't want to go fishing again." Dmitri tells him sternly after a couple of minutes.
"Then we won't." He promises the boy. "Now let's get you back into bed." He sits with his son until he falls asleep. Leaving the nightlight on, he slowly makes his way out the room. When he turns in the hallway Payson is already waiting for him, standing against the doorframe.
She makes her way to him and puts her arms around his waist. He returns the gesture, knowing this is her favourite kind of hug. "See love, you have nothing to worry about." She whispers. "Nothing at all, you are a great father."
A/N Well this isn't the chapter I was going to write, but my characters never listen to what I have to say anyway, so yeah, a lot more angst than I wanted.. Also I know nothing about fishing :P .. Next up will be some public changes and more of the old Rock rebels.. chapters are already outlined, only need to be written now, I think there will be about 6 more chapters.. I really hope I can keep this up, because I really like this story and want to continue it, also I can't bear to make you all wait this long again!
