Thank you to 'brookletp', 'Blah678' and the guest who reviewed last chapter!
This is the second to last chapter, hope you enjoy it! :)
Chapter Eleven – August 2012
XI
As Kelly Parker climbed the stairs that led to the floor podium, she couldn't help but remember how she got there.
Injuries, surgeries, highs and lows. She had faced them all, always crawling back to the top. And always, since they were both Juniors, there had been someone right there, fighting tooth and nail for that spot.
Keeler and she had been rivals, but never enemies, oh no. They had respected each other too much for that. The girl with the broken foot, and the one with the crooked back.
Payson's fall had affected her in a very deep way. Suddenly her shadow, her mirror was no longer there, and there was no one to fill that place.
Cruz might have won that night at Nationals, but she had no champions spirit. She was naive and expected things to fall at her feet, and as soon as she understood what it actually took to be on top, she had folded like Kelly had always believed she would.
No words could describe Kelly's frustration at the NGO, and especially at Ellen Beals. That Bitch should watch her back, because she would have many things coming her way.
No mater though. Payson was here, and once again, their batle was raging, this time on the biggest stage in their lives. And even though her chances of grabbing the gold were incredibly small, there was no chance in hell that she was coming behind anyone but her arch-rival.
Falling into her starting pose, Kelly smiled prettily, but narrowed her eyes in concentration.
This was her time.
Kelly Parker was on fire. There was no other way to describe it. She was hitting all her skills. Two of her floor passes had already been completed, and she had stuck both of them.
Becca couldn't help but smile slightly. There was a reason why Kelly Parker had stood so many years on top of US gymnastics.
Forty seconds later, it was over, and Becca knew she didn't have to look at the results.
She nudged Payson slightly with her elbow, whispering. "Looks like your duel is still on. One two once again." At Payson's frown, Becca shook her head chuckling. "Who cares Pay! We're both Olympic medalist!"
Kelly Parker's score came out, and Becca and Payson hugged, tears of joy falling down their faces
As Payson stood, head tall as she watched the Olympic Flag raise in the arena, she could feel a drop falling down her cheek.
It was not the flag she had always dreamed of, but it didn't take away from her pride. She was an Olympic Gold medalist. To her right stood the one she had always secretly believed would be there, someone she had respected as a rival, even though they always bickered with each other.
And to her left, someone whom before her injury she had never even imagined there, but now couldn't think of in any other place. She looked down towards her and Becca smiled back at her, her own tears falling down her face.
"I think my sister is in love with you" Payson said, 4 days later.
"Ohh, and what made the littlest Keeler fall for my charms?"
"Your scandalous interview for NBC. What else?"
The devil horned girl laughed.
"You can't imagine how much that interview has done for my career." Kelly adopted a tearful look and said in a mournfully voice. "I can't believe they made all those awful things up just because they had a grudge against the British coaches! How could they keep from our country the chance for so many medals!" She brushed a fake tear away, and just like that her smirk was back on. "Seriously Keeler, you've just given credence to my words. Another gold yesterday and one more today?! Geez leave something for the rest of us, will you?"
Payson snorted. "You wish!"
Kelly and she had just come out from the vault podium with bronze and gold, Kelly having been beaten by a mentally recovered Ghengi Cho, and were now on the corridor leading back into the stands, to watch the men's p-bars.
"Look out for Tanner. She has been eyeing that beam for a long time" Kelly said in way of goodbye, waving and making her way towards the rest of the American contingent.
Payson nodded and went up to join Sasha and Becca.
"Let me see it!" Her sister gushed, grubbing at her bag to see the golden disk.
"Congrats" Sasha said again. He had come up to the stands to see her receive her third gold of the Games.
She smiled and pulled up for a kiss.
The sound of a camera going off brought them out of their own little world to see Becca taking pictures of her medal from all angles.
"Isn't it basically the same as the others?" Sasha asked, his face showing his curiosity.
Becca shrugged. "I'm gonna make a montage of all the medals for our vlog. Together we have all three colors!"
Payson chuckled, before turning her attention to the events on the floor.
It was true. Yesterday on Bars final, Becca had won herself the silver, edging out Kelly who won the bronze.
Tomorrow would be beam and floor final, and Becca would have another chance to try to get a tri-colored set for herself.
Payson smiled and shook Ghengi Cho's hand, before moving to the silver medal position to shake Lauren's and climbing up to the central position.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly. It was her fourth medal. Her fourth gold. It was almost over.
Opening her eyes, she accepted the bouquet offered to her and waved to the crowd. Everything was almost coming to a close
Sasha smiled, as he clapped along with the crowd for the first female ever gymnast, man or woman, to sweep the individual competition.
His girls had done well. Payson couldn't possibly have done better, and Becca had proved herself by winning a bronze and a silver, which was amazing, considering the competition.
Everyone in the world was talking about them. Payson was also the first IOA to win a gold medal, and that had helped to fuel the various articles about the Keeler sisters.
He smirked slightly. He couldn't wait to see how far Ellen Beals would fall.
"And here are the headlines for today's papers:
'How far goes the corruption that kept the Keeler sisters from competing for the USA?'
'The reason for the scandal! Kelly Parker announces that Ellen Beals had a vendetta against British coaches Sasha Belov and Nicolai Ballan!'
'Payson Keeler makes history by sweeping the individual medals!'
'Did Ellen Beals use the Keeler sisters to grab power in the NGO?'
'On her own, Payson Keeler wins more medals than all the other US gymnasts combined!'
'All the lies and manipulations in the NGO reports about the Keelers!'
'Who will pay the price in the biggest sports scandal in history?'
Official Standings of Women's Gymnastics: All-Around
1 – Payson Keeler (IOA)
2 – Kelly Parker (USA)
3 – Rebecca Keeler (IOA)
4 – Ivanka Kirilenko (RUS)
5 – Ghengi Cho (CHN)
6 – Kaylie Cruz (USA)
7 – Daria Laga (ROM)
8 – Maria Chumakova (RUS)
Official Standings of Women's Gymnastics: Vault
1 – Payson Keeler (IOA)
2 – Kelly Parker (USA)
3 – Ghengi Cho (CHN)
4 – Maria Gila (ROU)
5 – Fa Jin (CHN)
6 – Kate Drum (CHE)
7 – Laura Fabian (BEL)
8 – Valerie Bergerack (FRA)
Official Standings of Women's Gymnastics: Uneven Bars
1 – Payson Keeler (IOA)
2 – Rebbeca Keeler (IOA)
3 – Kelly Parker (USA)
4 – Tian Lelim (CHN)
5 – Kate Lincoln (UK)
6 – Svetlana Naria (RUS)
7 – Yuri Nakamura (JPN)
8 – Emily Kmetko (USA)
Official Standings of Women's Gymnastics: Balance Beam
1 – Payson Keeler (IOA)
2 – Lauren Tanner (USA)
3 – Ivanka Kirilenko (RUS)
4 – Rebbeca Keeler (IOA)
5 – Meghan Scott (CAN)
6 – Lena Habe (NLD)
7 – Tatiana Jorge (BRA)
8 – Kaylie Cruz (USA)
Official Standings of Women's Gymnastics: Floor
1 – Payson Keeler (IOA)
2 – Lauren Tanner (USA)
3 – Ivanka Kirilenko (RUS)
4 – Rebbeca Keeler (IOA)
5 – Kaylie Cruz (USA)
6 – Lena Habe (NLD)
7 – Libby Martin (UK)
8 – Fabia Vanetti (ITA)