So I'm going to trial review replies at the end, because I've realised that I'm one of the people who in their haste to get to the chapter itself, skipping review replies is a problem. So see your shout out at the bottom!
-Chapter Break Strengths-
Strengths
Steve Tanner insisted on escorting Lauren in on her first day back. Even though no one except Sasha, Summer and Kim should have known about her mother, she was still nervous. Everyone would know something had changed, Lauren was sure. She just wanted to train and get out of there. Walking in, she stripped off the bottom layer of her sweats on the floor, leaving her hoodie on. Her arm still had marks from the IV. Marks no one would be seeing if she had anything to say about it.
From the moment she stepped onto the floor, she could tell something was off. There was always gossip and whispering circulating but this was extreme.
Carter was on a tumbling track; Austin was on the high bar performing brutal pull ups and then alternatively forcing himself into a swing and handstand.
When he saw Lauren the Olympian dropped down and headed over. He touched her briefly before flopping down on the mat.
"Are you alright?" Lauren laughed. Austin rarely looked so dishevelled in the gym.
"I am now regretting the eggnog." He admitted. He groaned and stretched and felt the pull across his shoulders "conditioning's always such a bitch on my shoulders."
"Why do I get the feeling something's going on?" Lauren cast a wary glance around the gym.
"Yeah. No one's said anything to me, but they know something."
"Great." Lauren stretched out. Her own muscles gave a twinge of protest. "You didn't…"
"Who would I tell?" Austin reminded her.
Lauren nodded and tightened her grip on her feet.
She looked up when three sets of feet stood beside her.
"Hi." Payson began. She stood in the middle. "Can we sit?"
"Sure." Lauren released the last of her stretch.
Payson cast a wary glance at Austin. "Could we talk? Privately?"
Lauren nodded at the Olympian.
"I'll see you at lunch, yeah?" He checked.
The three girls positioned themselves awkwardly.
"I am so sorry." Payson stated. "We came to see you in the hospital. Twice. But you weren't awake and your Dad wouldn't let us see you."
"He said." Lauren stated tightly. "Thanks. You didn't have to do that. I was fine."
"What happened?" Kaylie wanted to hear it from Lauren's mouth.
"Nothing, it was a stupid accident. I'm fine. Thanks for your concern." Lauren stated, but then, at the obvious concern added "really, thanks but I'm fine."
"You overdosed on, like, a handful of sleeping pills. Everyone was really freaked out, and you're just 'fine'?" Emily demanded.
"I didn't overdose on anything." Lauren snapped. "I just inhaled some water into my lungs, the doctors were worried so they kept me overnight. That's it."
Emily went to speak again but Kaylie nudged her in the ribs. "Lo. It's okay. We know. We are so sorry." She went to touch the blonde girl but Lauren recoiled as though she'd been struck.
"What do you mean you know?" She demanded. "Know what?"
"About your mother" Payson added. "about… how she died. I'm sorry. I know how much you loved her."
"You don't know anything." Lauren spat at them "oh my god." She bit at her lip and briefly clenched her eyes closed. "How many people did you tell about your theory?"
"Lauren!" Kaylie protested. "It's okay, and just because your mother had a drug problem doesn't mean you can't get help. I called my therapist this morning, and we were talking…"
"Oh my god. Stop. You don't know anything. Did you just accuse me of having a drug problem?" Lauren winced when she realised how loud her voice had gotten.
"Okay" Payson held up her hands. "We believe you. We're your teammates, you can trust us."
"I can't trust anybody, clearly!" Lauren stood and stormed up the stairs the office.
"Well that went well." Emily commented. She flinched under the glare both Kaylie and Payson sent her way. "What?"
-Chapter Break Strengths-
The full office was there; Sasha, Summer and Kim.
"Lauren. Come in." Sasha was the first to recover from her entry. "I wanted to talk…"
"You told everyone about her?" She demanded. "How could you? You knew I didn't want people to know and now the whole Rock does!"
It took Sasha a second to recover and to catch up to what Lauren was accusing him of. "Lauren, I assure you, I didn't."
Lauren crossed her arms, clearly not convinced. "Everyone knows!"
"Kim and Summer know some details of the situation, which I told them after being assured of their confidence."
"I haven't spoken to anyone outside of this office apart from your father and my pastor." Summer was quick to assure her. "Though I did want to talk to you. I thought we could go to church this Sunday…"
"I spoke to Payson." Kim cut in suddenly.
"And you just decided to tell her my business?" Lauren was furious.
"No. She told me. She already knew and she told me… details, that Sasha hadn't. I don't know how she found out." Kim told the blonde girl. Already she was regretting dragging Payson into it. She planned on keeping her daughters are far away from Lauren as she possibly could.
"Not from anyone in this room." Sasha insisted.
Lauren relaxed, finally. "Fine. Sorry for…" she waved a hand before getting mentally back on topic. Maybe from the hospital staff? Except they didn't know anything about her mother. "I have to…" she waved a hand towards the floor.
"I'll be down in a minute" Sasha told her. "warm up and then we'll get started."
Down on the floor, Lauren shakily finished stretching.
"Hey babe." Carter dropped quietly down beside her and in a rare Rock moment, squeezed her hand. "Are you alright?"
Lauren nodded.
"Lo." Carter knew something wasn't right. He just wasn't sure whether it was something to be expected given the circumstances or something else.
"Everyone knows." Lauren stated, she cast her eyes around the gym making sure not to make eye contact. One girl caught her eye and gave her a sympathetic smile. She scowled until the girl cowered. "Somebody told everyone."
Carter frowned. He stayed out of gym politics.
"It'll blow over. It always does."
Lauren nodded. She ran through it in her head. "I only told four people. You, Austin, Sasha and my Dad. Austin and Sasha both swear it wasn't them. Did you tell anyone? Kaylie?"
"No!" Carter declared "I've kept your secrets for months." After the weeks and weeks of secrecy it sent a rush of anger that she could even ask that.
"I know." Lauren was quick to assure him. "but I had to ask. I doesn't make any sense." She sighed. "maybe they were eavesdropping at the hospital?"
Carter frowned and shook his head. "No, they left by the time you woke up."
"I hate this!" Lauren insisted, stretching herself out particularly forcefully when a group of the level nines all blatantly stared. She scowled again. "Do you want something?" She snapped at them.
"Sorry about your mother." They barely hid their smirks "that blows." As they walked away she faintly heard "It must be so hard having a crack head prostitute as mother…"
"So her mother was a drug addict." Becca Keeler's voice cut loudly across the gym "what's your mother's excuse for spreading her legs quite so open?"
Lauren's protégé was smart enough to leave that situation quickly. She headed for Lauren.
"I really am, like, genuinely sorry about your mother." Becca stated.
"Thanks B." Lauren told her with a soft smile. "We'll catch up properly this week, okay? I'm just a bit tired today."
The U of C guys finished with their horse work out and one of the assistant coaches raised a hand to catch Carter's attention. He'd been waiting.
"Go." Lauren insisted. "I'll figure it out."
"I know you will." Carter insisted.
Becca stuck around, but seemed to figure out Lauren didn't want to talk, so she stayed silent. Her constant gaze on the blond beamer irritated Lauren, but she couldn't be bothered to say anything. Plus Becca kept the other gymnasts from directly approaching her.
It was only when she was warmed up did she directly address the gymnast again.
"Shouldn't you be with your squad?"
"I'd learn more watching you than waiting for my go on the uneven." Becca told her "And Marcie's too scared of you to complain."
Lauren eyed up the junior assistant coach working with a college student to help the young girls through their uneven bars.
"Come on then." She said instead.
Lauren possessed none of the grace of Carter so she headed for the beam and gave the girl on it a truly vicious look. The fourteen year-old didn't even finish her routine but just dropped off and joined the other girls waiting for a beam in her age group. She eyed off the girl on the next beam over for Becca and then when another junior assistant coach looked like she was going to protest, Lauren raised an eyebrow. "today? Really?"
The entire gym watched Lauren on the beam.
Despite her mental strength, Lauren knew her body was weak. It ached just stretching it. So she used a press mount rather than training her erceg. The risk of splatting herself on the gym floor wasn't one she could take that day.
"She's actually insane." Kaylie commented from across the gym. "Who has their mother die and can work on the beam like that right after?"
"Who works on the beam like that full stop?" Payson grumbled, but she softened "people grieve in different ways, though, right?"
"Has Sasha said anything too you?" Emily asked. It was a fact that if Sasha was speaking to an elite girl, chances were it was Payson, particularly when judging the tone of the group.
Payson shook her head. "Look at her." She returned their attention back to Lauren.
"Ice queen." Kaylie pointed out when she stuck her dismount.
She mounted again, and then, from her position on beam, directed Becca in her short tumbling. The girl was working on an onodi for nationals.
Slowly, Lauren moved from her low position into a standing. She performed a back walkover twice and then her dismount, sticking it once more.
What they didn't see from across the gym was that she was shaking slightly. Her body trembled and when Sasha stepped forward with a soft "Lauren" she almost backhanded him across the face.
"Becca, join your group." He informed the young gymnast, without taking his eyes off of Lauren. Come back up to my office" Sasha insisted Lauren rolled her eyes at the gym watching her being led up to Sasha's office.
"I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting you today." He informed her.
"Nationals are in less than a month."
"You need to get your head on straight, and hours drilling on beam won't accomplish anything, not least because you will injure yourself. I guarantee it. You have to be 100% focused on beam. You know that."
"Yeah." Lauren reluctantly agreed. Sasha waited. Lauren Tanner's thoughts were like poison that needed to be slowly drawn out. "Austin thinks I should hit someone." She stated out of the blue.
"Excuse me?"
"A person, a punching bag, anything that won't permanently damage my hands."
"Well punching a person would, and it would be a stupid, stupid, idea."? Sasha informed her, but the rest of the idea had merit and it would fit with the rest of his new plans for the gymnast. "But I can tell you first hand, there is something soothing about controlled violence, the same can be said of pushing your body to its limits."
"Thus the punching bag."
"I know a boxing gym. It won't be like any gym you've ever been too."
Lauren shrugged.
"I'm going to push you." Sasha said. The last thing you need is stewing in your head while drilling skills on beam. I know what you're capable of, so I need you to trust me while we push your limits." "On beam?" Lauren perked up.
"The beam is your happy place. You don't hit things in your happy place."
"So what, oh wise and benevolent coach, do I do?"
"Bars."
Bars had never been Lauren Tanner's strength. While never the performer or powerhouse, as Kaylie and Payson had been, on floor her precision had carried her through. She had the power, strength and body type for vault and her Tsuk was strong, even if it could be much stronger. And Beam? Well, she was in a class of her own, especially lately, but Bars had always been her weak point.
There was nothing solid about the uneven bars, nothing underneath her feet to steady herself on. She knew that was what most gymnasts claimed about beam but for her it was the bars. Sasha wanted her on bars though, so Lauren headed for the ones set up over the thickest, softest, mats.
-Chapter Break Strengths-
Carter watched as much as he could. As a gymnast he had to be able to focus relentlessly while in a routine, but between routines he kept an eye on her as she hit the mat over and over. Each time she fell she got back up, but each time it took her just a little bit longer.
"What are you doing?" He finally swung under the wires attached to the parallel bars to confront Sasha. It went against every instinct to confront the coach. The coach watched Lauren struggle to mount back up onto the bars and get a rhythm to attempt the transition. She managed it, briefly, but couldn't hold and slipped, falling down to smack, knees and hands, into the mat.
"With Lauren?" Sasha checked unnecessarily. He liked prodding Carter Anderson.
"Yes with Lauren." Any urge of Sasha's to prod harder disappeared when Carter continued passionately "She's fragile. Do you really think she needs to be punished by you? Now?
"She's punishing herself already; I'm just making her productive."
"And what about when she leaves here? When you've got her wound so tight she won't eat, wont function, won't lie down without a handful of sleeping pills."
Sasha clasped a hand on Carter's shoulder. "She stays here, until she breaks, and then we don't let her out of our sight. She's too strong right now. She's been too strong for weeks."
He walked over to get a closer look at his gymnast. She could stick the transition. She probably would be but Carter was right. She was wound far too tight.
"You're under-rotating" Sasha called.
Angrily she pulled off her hand guards, tossing them to the side. That was when Sasha made his approach.
"Had enough?"
She just scowled at him and reapplied chalk to her hands.
"Don't be afraid to take the extra swing" he instructed her.
"If it's not a combination it's a lower DOD than my routine at the moment. I need the connection."
"You're not competing this, not yet. Take the swing and get the feel of it. Your rhythm is off." He nodded his head to the bars. "and keep the new landing in."
"I can't stick it." She insisted. "I can't even fit in the last ½ twist in the connection, let alone the dismount."
"You have twice the time you'd use if you were coming off beam. You should be able to stick this.
Still she hesitated and that was when Sasha artfully snapped "would it help if I got Austin or Carter in here to tell you that you can do it?"
Probably, but Lauren didn't tell him that.
Lauren took the time to set up the rhythm. She swung, once, twice, three times. She could almost feel Sasha's frustration but then she performed the reverse release and forced her body around the bar with all she had. Her body ached so much it felt heavy and as she had to press through her routine she was reminded just how much she hated bars.
When she dismounted she felt her ankle give way right before she hit the mat. It wasn't even a sprain, her leg just didn't hold her up anymore.
"Damn it. Damn it" She swore far louder than she should have and she was disgusted with herself to find her eyes welling with tears. Angrily she hit the mat.
Sasha watched, inscrutable as always.
"What? I told you I can't get that dismount." She demanded of him "why did you make me try?"
"You got it." He told her "you didn't stick it because you're exhausted and you're muscles can't hold you up any more."
She opened her mouth to argue automatically but Sasha cut her off. He held out his hands and pulled her to her feet.
"Take a break. Grab some lunch, the ice machines are on full blast and you've got first access" He informed her.
Lauren held back a groan. Ice baths were awful but effective and at least she wouldn't be using the gross dregs that the Elites often got, being last to finish. She nodded.
"And Lauren? don't take any sleeping pills before you do."
She rolled her eyes but followed his orders.
The deep drainable tubs were gross enough, Lauren thought. Let alone before you filled them with ice and freezing cold water, but it helped so she filled them up and put in the footage filmed from the recent Asian Championships. The water soaked through her leo instantly and she had to grip the side of the tub it hurt so much. She was chattering instantly and she heard, rather than felt herself whimper.
Austin wandered in about the same time the biting pain changed to a numb sensation. "You look like you're having fun." He kicked the side of the tub.
"Go die." She insisted instead.
He held out a tupawear container teasingly before leaving it on the table and wandering back over.
"This the Asian Championship?" He asked.
"Yes." She eyed him up. He looked even worse than he had that morning. "You look awful."
"My shoulders are being a bitch." He admitted. "I thought they were okay this morning, now they just… shit." He swore.
Lauren winced in sympathy.
"Want to share my ice bath?" She teased.
Austin considered. "Do you mind? I really don't want to lug buckets of ice."
"Just leave your shorts on."
The tubs were deep enough that they reached Lauren's neck but Austin had to lean back to cover his shoulders so he sat himself in in front, causing the water to rise up to Lauren's chin. He leant back against her, resting his head on her breasts.
She dribbled some freezing water on his face as he started chattering and laughed when he swiped at her and then groaned in pain. She rubbed his shoulder in sympathy.
"So…" Austin began through chattering teeth.
"So.."
"This is personal."
"Yeah. You're not going to get fresh with me are you?" Lauren deadpanned.
Austin laughed through his chattering teeth. "Just thinking about when someone walks in."
"It'll end up in the tabloids and MJ'll be pleased." Lauren joked. "Or it'll be Summer…"
Austin groaned.
As he continued shaking from the ice, Lauren clicked the Asian championships back on.
A level eight was the first to see them. She came in looking for water bottle and froze.
"Did you need something?" Lauren drawled. Pretending she didn't have Austin Tucker's head on her chest.
"No… ah…" She backed out of the room.
"Half the gym's going to be in here in less than a minute." Austin told her "I bet you lunch at that new Japanese place on Walnut street."
"Taken." Lauren grinned. "They'll try to be subtle. I give them at least ninety seconds."
They took two minutes, but barely, and it was Austin's fans that arrived first. The thirteen year old girls gaped.
"We can still eat lunch in here, right?" Their leader blushed at the shirtless man.
"If you're quiet. We're watching the Asian championships" To prove her point Lauren cranked up the sound.
Genji Cho came up on bars and they all watched in awed silence. "Wow." Austin stated. "is she like that in person?"
"Like a porcelain doll." Lauren assured him. "A perfect porcelain doll."
Even though they were an insight in the Chinese and Japanese gymnasts that would be a big threat come worlds, it wasn't the Asian Championships that's drew gymnasts to the room. Payson, Kaylie and Emily certainly blanched before kicking the juniors off the couches and effectively out.
"Are we interrupting something?" Kaylie gaped.
"The Asian championships. Genji Cho is ridiculous." Lauren pointed out with a smirk.
Eventually, an adult had to hear about it and Lauren took great pleasure out of it being Summer.
She walked into the room determined but then blanched at the sight.
"Oh my!" She spluttered "Lauren what are you doing?"
"Taking an ice bath?"
"With Austin?" She demanded.
"Sure looks like it." Austin muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"Lauren, you can't just… take a bath with a boy!"
"It's not a naked Jacuzzi, it's an ice bath. Trust me, with these temperatures, nothing could possibly be going on."
Austin winced in agreement.
"I don't care. It's entirely inappropriate!"
"We're both dressed." Lauren reminded her. She was in her practice leo, Austin was in shorts.
"Get out now, Lauren!"
She picked up her phone. "In ninety seconds."
Summer stood, taping her foot until the alarm rang on Lauren's phone. Austin leant forward but complained good-naturedly "Fine just leave me here."
Lauren had more important things as the heat returned to her body. She grabbed a towel and frantically rubbed at her limbs before grabbing the tupawear container of soup Austin had brought and shoving it in the microwave.
"Did you want something else?" Lauren checked with Summer.
"Those tubs are for single use only." She insisted.
Lauren smiled. "Well then perhaps you could lug a half dozen buckets of ice in here, because I've carried my share and Austin has injured shoulders."
Summer pursed her lips but didn't rise to the bait. "I hope you'll join me at church on Sunday." She stated in the end "I know the pastor wants to talk to you."
Lauren only grumbled "well I want a pony." But she did it quiet enough that it didn't travel across the room.
When Summer left, Austin twisted around. "I thought you had a pony."
"Had, past tense." Lauren leaned back against the couch, bracing herself against the muscle pains. "it was at Dad's vineyard, maybe he's still there."
"Yeah, you so shouldn't get a dog."
Austin was still in the tub when Carter came in.
"Summer just blew up to Sasha's office and loudly informed him you two needed adult supervision.
"Someone did remind her I'm an adult, right?" Austin checked.
"I don't think it was your virtue she was concerned about." Carter reminded Austin. He pushed down the part of him that was more than a little concerned about his girlfriend and Austin Tucker. It's just like her sharing the tub with one of the girls, that was fairly common. Her sharing the tub with Kaylie… no, not Kaylie. Not her teammates… her sharing the tub with a non-hot girl. There we go, properly reassured, Carter gave Lauren a tight smile and then settled down on the couch.
"I need to talk to you later." He told her.
"Okay."
"About that thing."
She frowned, not entirely sure.
"That thing this morning." Carter elaborated "I think I figured it out."
Lauren nodded tightly. "Now?"
"Just let me finish this." Carter gestured with his fork at his lunch, and its potatoey goodness. Lauren glared at it.
Eventually, they headed back onto the gym floor. Lauren would've preferred someone more secluded but it was freezing outside.
"So, I think you figured it out. You told four people, me and Austin, your Dad and Sasha… and yet Emily, Kaylie and Payson found out."
"Sasha told Mrs Keeler and Summer but I don't think they told the whole gym." Lauren informed him. "At least Sasha swore they didn't."
"So if it wasn't Austin, me or Sasha that leaves one person."
It was such a foreign concept that Lauren had to think for a second to realise what he was getting at.
"Dad would never tell anyone. He's the one who started insisting Mum was an aid worker to begin with. There is no way he would blab it around the gym."
"Would he tell his girlfriend?" Carter asked.
The pieces unravelled for Lauren. "Dad tells Chloe, Chloe tells Emily, Emily tells everyone. That bitch."
Before she could storm off, Carter grabbed her arm.
"What are you going to do?"
"Destroy her life." Lauren insisted, seeing red. "That skanky whore!"
Carter forcefully held on to her forearms.
"Stop." He insisted. "Do you even know who you're talking about?"
Lauren froze. "It doesn't matter. Chloe or Emily. I hate them both."
"I know. I get that you hate them, I get you're upset but stop, okay. We have to act like adults, deal with this properly."
Lauren clenched her jaw. "Did you just tell me to grow up?" She demanded
Carter froze at the ice in her tone.
"No." He insisted quickly. "I just want you to think before you act."
"You totally did." Lauren stated. "Like I was some petty child."
Carter didn't know what to say except "I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget you're just seventeen."
"It's okay." Lauren said hurriedly, glancing around the gym to check who had overhead. "we're okay?"
"Yeah, babe. I didn't mean…"
"It's fine. You were right." Lauren insisted quickly. "I'm going to go train."
Carter let his head fall back against the wall of the gym. "Damn it."
Lauren ducked into the change room to make a phone call and then quickly warmed up.
After her bruising morning she lightly stretched and then demanded the floor. She only had until the after-school brats showed up to refine her choreography. She'd been watching Payson's graceful floor. The entire world had. It had convinced her that it was time to update. Even if she couldn't dance like Payson, she was done with the last of the childlike fluff but choreography was more than moves. In the lead up to nationals every piece of her choreography had to be measured and perfect. Every step a calculated one designed to result in her perfect position for her next move. It all had to be measured out and given the state of her body it was a productive way to spend the afternoon. A few others even joined her on the mat, but they were smart enough to stay out of her way. The moment it hit 3pm, Lauren grabbed her gym bag and headed out.
She checked warily for her father but was reassured when he didn't appear. Austin met her at the door, twirling his car keys.
"What did you do?" He asked the blonde.
"Nothing." She insisted.
"Carter think's you're upset." He informed her.
"Carter's wrong."
"He told me it was Emily."
"I should've realised."
Austin parked at the house and then ducked inside. He returned with an envelope.
"Thanks" Lauren took it. "I'll pay you back."
Austin shrugged. "Not that I mind spotting you cash, but what exactly do you need it for?"
"Carter told me to grow up today." Lauren informed him. "He was right too. Emily is my competition but I'm not going to beat her by smacking her one in the middle of the Rock."
"It'd be entertaining to watch though." Austin insisted. "Where are we going?"
"Head to Denver."
Lauren explained on the way and Austin was suitably impressed. It was only when they arrived at the small café that he spoke up.
"I should stick around" He insisted.
"No, go. I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed his cheek and then let herself out. "Thank you though."
"Anytime."
Lauren recognised the man from a variety of Christmas parties and work functions of her father's she'd attended. He'd stopped by the house a fair few times as well.
She sat down and he ordered himself a coffee before turning to her.
"black tea, thank you."
"Every time I see you I go to say that you've grown, but I don't think you've grown since you were thirteen." John Vickers informed her.
"It's the gymnastics" Lauren informed him. "You could say I look older?"
"You do." He nodded. "So what can I do for you, Lauren?"
"Investigate." Lauren replied. "I need you to investigate people for me. Dad probably already has but I want to know what you found."
"I work for your father Lauren. I met you here as a courtesy."
"I'm his daughter, it's not like it's a conflict of interest."
"What makes you think you can afford me?"
"I'm Steve Tanner's daughter and it's a recession. The first thing I need is for you to find out about a friend of mine's mother. Elizabeth Anderson. From Boston. Maiden name was Gelvey. She died and he wants to know if he has any surviving family."
"Your father wanted me to look into him." The PI informed her "he also told me to stop."
Lauren suddenly gave him her full attention. "Did he tell you to look up Austin Tucker as well."
"He did, but he changed his mind before I got digging. He was overseas for a few years I didn't get a chance to get into it. Should I have found something?"
"Dad wanted to get some dirt on my boyfriend, as though I didn't know he spent the last decade whoring around Europe." Lauren lied to his face on two counts. "so you can find something on Carter's grandparents?"
"Sure. Easy enough." The man stated "that's what you wanted? Me to look up his family?"
"and I want you to go poking around the Rock, particularly on families with members on the board. Dad probably already had you do it. I want to know what you found."
"What, did they sleep with your boyfriend?"
"Dad's lost a lot of power on the board and the gym is full of rumours I'm a total train wreck. I need some leverage." Lauren sighed. "Is there any way you're going to do this?"
Her father's PI considered it. He had a daughter who didn't look much younger than Lauren.
Lauren could see his reluctance clear as day. "Don't you have kids?" She changed tacts. "Lucy and…"
"Jeff."
"How are their college funds looking?" She pulled out the envelope and a thousand dollars. In 20 dollar notes it looked like an awful lot for work he'd already done.
"Put that away." The man grumbled.
"A thousand now, a thousand when I've got something on everyone in that gym."
"Not everyone can be blackmailed."
"Then I need to know who can't."
The man considered. "I'll give you what I have." He told her "you're right. Your father's had me look into a few at the gym already, and I'll poke around, but I'm not digging into the lives of teenagers, alright? It might be a recession but I'm not that desperate."
"Parents will do fine." Lauren stated "but there's one person in particular I want everything you can possibly find on."
"Alright." Vickers drawled.
"Her name is Kmetko,"
"Chloe. I met her at the Christmas party this year."
"Funny. I wasn't invited." Lauren informed him. "I want to know about her, Chloe, as fast possible. Anything controversial."
"She's dating your father. That would be a conflict of interest."
"I won't tell him." Lauren insisted. "There's another grand if you can find anything, and find it quickly."
"You're going to blackmail your father's girlfriend?"
"My father isn't going to look. He's swept up by her authenticness, which is so totally just another word for cheap. I'm not losing my inheritance to someone who wears animal prints in excess."
He wasn't happy.
"Just dig lightly." Lauren stated with a smile. Before he could back out she smiled once more and then informed him. "I'm going to go then, call me the second you find out anything. The second."
With a little wave she left the P.I. and headed into the middle of Denver. She might have found it hard to muster up cold hard cash but she had a credit card and she owed Austin a big thank you.
She found him a great scarf and chuckled at the Kobolt advertisement she saw, before bumping into Razor's bandmate. The girl was wearing a parka of all things, but she's also trying to single-handedly put a huge guitar amp into the back of a range rover.
Sighing, Lauren considered the situation. It was easier than finding a cab to take her back to Boulder.
What she discovered was that Bennett lived not five minutes-walk from Lauren in a house of a similar standard. Instead of Steve Tanner, she had a god-awful mother who was more Botox than heart and would raise Lauren's Chloe Kmetko with a host of trashy stepfathers.
The way she described her own family was the singular reason Lauren picked up when her father rang.
"Lauren. Thank god. Where are you?"
"I'm with a friend" Lauren glanced over at Bennett, driving them back to Boulder. "I'm fine."
"Anderson is still training and Tucker just walked in." Steve insisted. "Who are you with? No!" He changed his mind. "Just tell me where you are, I'll be there in five minutes… Sweetheart?"
"Driving home now." Lauren insisted. "We'll be half an hour."
Bennett rolled her eyes. "I guess we're going to your place then."
Her father was waiting for her when she got home. "Lauren?" He was outside as soon as the gate opened.
"I'm here, Daddy." She insisted. She dropped slowly out of the high door of the 4WD.
He hugged her tightly. "You told me you would be at the gym at five. You said you would call if you wanted to leave early!"
"Sorry." Lauren whispered. "I went to Denver. This is Ben."
Steve Tanner was not expecting this girl. He wasn't expecting any girl with the name Ben, but this girl, who was just slightly taller than Lauren with long dark (dyed?) hair and clothes he couldn't imagine his daughter allowing within a ten foot radius. Was this what he had to look forward to?
"Hello Ben." He stated, with Lauren still tucked under his arm.
"Hi… Mr Tanner." Bennet shifted her weight. She wasn't used to respecting authority but Lauren did not look uncomfortable under her father's arm.
"Ben gave me a lift back from Denver. We were going to hang out."
"Perhaps another time." Her father replied diplomatically. "I need to talk to Lauren right now."
"Sure." Ben stated. "We'll shop, yeah, for New Year's Eve?"
Lauren nodded. She hugged her lightly and surprised her with a friendly kiss on the cheek. "I'll call you." She waggled her fingers.
Steve didn't say anything until the car pulled out of the driveway. Lauren followed him silently into the house.
"Where are the Kmetkos?"
"Brian is at physical therapy, Chloe is picking him up on the way home from work. I don't know where Emily is. Lauren!" Her father's tone commanded her attention. "Do you understand how terrified I was today, when I turned up at the gym and you weren't there? Especially at after what happened at Christmas?"
"What did you think I was overdosing in a gutter or something?"
Lauren trailed a finger along the top of the lounge. Steve withheld the urge to force her to stop fidgeting.
"I'm your father" He insisted. "Every moment I spend where I can't see exactly where you are and what you're doing I am worried about you! Especially when two days earlier you were in hospital!"
Lauren flinched. She thought about Bennett's mother. She thought about her own.
"I'm sorry." She muttered instead.
Her father groaned. "It's okay, kiddo. Just call next time."
Steve was in Sasha's office when Kim walked in. She automatically glanced around for Sasha or Summer. Neither was there.
"Steve. I am so sorry about Lauren's mother." Kim offered up immediately.
She was surprised to see him look so utterly wrecked, cell phone in hand. "Lauren's missing again." He told her immediately. Have you seen her?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. She was training earlier…"
"She left with Austin Tucker at three. She told me she was training until five. I told her if she was tired, or she didn't want to train, anything, she could call me. I told her."
"Alright." Kim put in. "Did she message you?"
"No." Steve scowled.
"Did you ask Carter or Austin where she is?"
"I haven't asked Anderson. Austin left as well."
Kim frowned in disagreement. "He's on the rings." She knew because there weren't many people who could catch sight of Austin Tucker on the rings and not watch him finish his routine.
"Damn it." He swore, and then he let out a shocking laugh. At Kim's startled look he informed her "I never thought I would be unhappy my daughter wasn't alone somewhere with Austin Tucker."
"Steve, he probably dropped her home or she's shopping or… anything. Why don't you try calling her again and I will go speak to the boys."
She didn't have to, Steve evidently followed directions.
"Lauren, where are you?" He had his daughter on the phone before she was out the door.
Lauren Tanner was evidently alright and Kim Keeler was glad. She did dislike the girl, for her scheming, selfish, pettiness, but she had been friends with Payson for a long time and in many ways the Rock truly was like family.
"She's safe?" Kim checked when Steve hung up the phone. He nodded and let out a breath.
"I can't live like this." He admitted. "How did you do it? After Payson was injured, how did you let her out of your sight?"
"With great difficulty." Kim admitted "but I had to remember that she was still the strong, capable, daughter I had raised."
"Lauren isn't handling her mother's death well." Steve stated.
It has to be hard, losing a parent. I can't imagine what she could be feeling."
"I wanted to talk to you about it." Steve informed her "Lauren always looked up to you."
"To me? Lauren Tanner?"
"She liked you" Steve remembered "that you were such a good mother to Payson." Steve sobered "Look Kim, I know we've had our differences, but I think that you understand, whatever I've done, I did it for Lauren."
Kim nodded.
"So I'm asking, if you have any insight… any thoughts of anything I could do to help her, from a woman's perspective, I would appreciate it. I'm already working with Sasha."
"Surely Summer…" Kim began but Steve shook his head.
"Lauren won't go near her, or Chloe."
"I wish I knew something that could help." Kim admitted "but the trauma of losing a parent… well it's not something that can be dealt with lightly, especially at her age."
"She's always dealt with it so well before." Steve admitted "her mother I mean, you're aware?"
Kim nodded.
"She's always been so resolute." Steve admitted "but now she's so distant, with the other girls as well." He shook her head. "I also wanted to say… no hard feelings about what happened with the Rock?"
"No hard feelings?"
"I was trying to protect Lauren, but Payson should never have been collateral damage. You have no retaliation to worry about. I'm resigning as President of the Parent's board. I clearly have… other priorities right now."
There was a lot Kim could've said, but all that came out was "Good luck."
Lauren considered heading upstairs, but her father's head looked like it was going to explode anytime she took a step towards the door so instead she joined him in the kitchen.
Her grandmother had returned to Denver but had insisted she would be visiting "in short order." Consuela was away until the third of January.
"How was training?"
"Alright." Lauren admitted "Sasha thinks I can up my bars DOD."
"That's great." Steve insisted, with as much false enthusiasm as he could muster.
Lauren's look told him to stop trying so hard.
He frowned intensely at the stove and then at the recipe Consuela had left before repeating it. Lauren's look mirrored her father.
"I thought the one advantage of you dating Chloe Kmetko would be that even when Consuela went on vacation we would still have someone to do the cooking and cleaning."
"She's my girlfriend, not our housekeeper."
"I just meant she would be contributing in some way to the household."
"Well if you would like to be eating casserole with Dorito chips on top, I'm sure that can be arranged."
"Ew. Well, with that mental image scarring me for life, I'm going to leave you too it. Call me if you manage something edible."
"Wait, Lauren." She paused.
"I wanted us to spend time together tonight. We haven't had a daddy-daughter dinner in a while. I thought we could talk."
"I don't want to talk." Lauren insisted. "I don't want to talk about Mom, or how I'm feeling or what happened. I am all talked out." She sighed at his disappointed expression. "provided we don't have to talk about my feelings and we could have a regular dinner like we used to before everyone went all shrink crazy on me, a Daddy-daughter dinner wouldn't suck though."
"Thanks, kiddo."
"so I'm going to put on my new Anna Sui dress. You should change your tie or we'll clash?"
"We need to match?"
"Dad, smell that."
He did, then he dumped it in the sink. "Le Privilege?"
-Chapter Break Strengths-
Even Steve Tanner couldn't score an instantaneous table at Le Privilege. It being both the tourist and holiday season was worsened by the birthday party also limiting available tables. Being Steve Tanner, however, did earn him an eventual table and the promise of a phone call when it became available within the next hour. After that, Lauren had her father at her beck and call and the local strip of shops summoned.
Unfortunately for Lauren, her question of "how does it look?" was always answered with
"You look beautiful" which while nice wasn't very helpful in analysing clothing options.
Still, she managed to find two new dresses, a skirt and three pairs of shoes. He also caught her eying up the window of a jewellery store and while he didn't buy her anything (it was closed) she knew he'd taken note of what she was looking at.
When she yawned though, he took a lot of notice.
"This is ridiculous. We need to get you home."
"I'm fine."
Steve wrapped an arm around her shoulders against the cold wind. "If there's no table in the next ten minutes, we're going home and I'll get you that Pizza you like."
Lauren chuckled, but then the phone rang and they had a table.
They ordered quickly and then Lauren asked a few questions about the family businesses.
The food was excellent. It always was, and Lauren ate enough of her fish to satisfy her father. She also yawned a few more times, so Steve quickly summoned the bill.
She was drifting off against the car door on the way home and he resisted the urge to try and scoop her up and carry her inside like the five year old he so often wished she was. Instead he gently shook her.
He led them in and she followed mindlessly until she walked into the kitchen.
The Kmekto's were all cooking and the place looked like a bomb hit it. Food lined every counter and apparently her father hadn't been kidding because there was a bag of potato chips, right alongside a stack of plastic cheese. It was far too much for Lauren.
"I can't deal with this." She stated. She hated that woman.
"What's wrong?" Chloe asked nervously, eyes darting from Lauren to Steve and back again.
Lauren could've unleashed hell on Chloe Kmetko. She could've done it anytime that night but it was just too exhausting. She'd do it later, Lauren resolved.
"I'm going to bed." Lauren turned on the spot and headed for the stairs.
Her father nodded. "I'll come up to say goodnight." He called
"How is she?" Chloe immediately attached himself to her boyfriend, the moment Lauren was out of sight.
"Tired" Steve replied "how was the rest of training?"
"Fine." Emily replied "Everyone was really worried about Lauren. I'm going to…" she gestured over her shoulder and had her phone out before she left my room.
Everyone stood awkwardly until Steve withdrew. "I'll be in my study." He announced "Enjoy dinner."
-Chapter Break Strengths-
With her body aching, Lauren rubbed muscle cream into her body and texted first Austin, to say thanks for that afternoon, and then Razor and Bennet about New Years Eve. She'd moisturised and exfoliated and read part of a school book when the knock at her door came.
"Come in Dad." Lauren called, rolling her eyes at his overprotectiveness.
"It's not your Dad, Lo." Kaylie pointed out unnecessarily. She slid into the room and was shortly followed by Payson and Emily.
"Hi." Kaylie stated unnecessarily.
"Hi." Lauren repeated back, straightening quickly. She got out of bed and awkwardly tugged the covers back into place. She glanced around, her room wasn't in its unusual perfect state because Consuela was away. "What do you want? I was about to go to bed."
"We'll be quick." Payson and Kaylie exchanged glances.
"We came to apologise. " Payson told the blonde gymnast. "We're so sorry, not about your mother." She froze. "We are sorry about that, your mother, as well. But we're here to apologise that we were talking about it at the gym and people overheard. We didn't intend for it to happen but it was our fault, so we apologise."
After the rough start, Payson delivered the apology smoothly. Then they waited for Lauren's reaction.
"And you thought nine o'clock at night in my bedroom was the best place for this apology?"
"You took off with Austin Tucker before we got a chance to talk to you at training." Kaylie told her. "and then we came by but apparently you were out to dinner with your Dad. Emily called us when you got home."
"That's it? You just apologise and you think it's better?"
Kaylie said "yes" at the same time Payson said "of course not."
Lauren sighed. "Emily, get out." She told her.
"Excuse me?"
"You didn't owe me an apology. I've been nothing but a bitch to you."
Emily flinched and Lauren sighed again. "I'm exhausted and we're not friends, can you just leave?"
Emily looked to Payson and Kaylie but to her surprise Kaylie insisted. "Can you give us a minute Em?"
"Sure, I guess." She turned to her final team member, but Payson kept her face expressionless in the wake of Emily's hurt.
"I guess I'll be in my room."
That just left Pyason, Kaylie and Lauren. The original trio.
"We miss you so much, Lo." Kaylie insisted. "We want you back."
"You too, Pay?" Lauren asked.
"You're my teammate." Payson said, only she could put so much feeling into that declaration.
"And we can be team mates again." Kaylie jumped in, interrupting the eye contact between the two blonds. "We just need to forget all the stupid bithcing and backstabbing. We swore we weren't going to be those girls, remember?"
Lauren nodded but then she hesitated.
"Come on Lo, you belong with us." Kaylie insisted.
"Can you give Pay and me a minute?"
That startled Kaylie. "What?"
"Pay and I need to talk?"
"About what?"
"Stuff." Lauren stated. "Give us a minute."
Having agreed to throw Emily out, Kaylie had little choice but to wait outside in the hall.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Payson stated.
Lauren shrugged. "I miss training with you." she admitted "I miss it a lot. Its been like training without a limb."
"I miss you too, Lo." Payson stated. "But so does Kaylie."
"You know, I always felt she was the one that got me, not that she really did. She was all innocent and sweet but you were, like, from another planet."
"Thanks." Payson was a little hurt.
"But when I was in the hospital" Lauren continued. "I kept thinking that you would understand."
Payson frowned. She didn't understand how you could end up in hospital having overdosed on drugs and almost drowned a month before nationals.
"Everyone has been so sympathetic, but they shouldn't be." Lauren continued. "I just felt like screaming the whole time stop pitying me!"
That, Payson did understand. "You could have told me."
"Please, Pay, you come from the Brady bunch, and you would've told Kaylie and Emily and then the whole gym would've found out. Though that's basically what happened anyway, I guess." Lauren eyed up Payson. She thought she had gotten better at judging people. "Did you have anything to do with everyone finding out? I mean deliberately." She watched the blond carefully.
Payson shook her head. "I didn't. I swear."
"I didn't know Dad had a copy of the tape." Lauren replied. "I swear, it was never meant to get out."
"What I don't understand is why you didn't come to me." Payson exclaimed "I could have told you there was nothing going on between me and Sasha. He's our coach."
"I knew." Lauren scoffed "Please, Payson, you're so innocent the only thing coming near you would be a unicorn, I mean, you've got the whole new boobs thing" She waved a hand "but if you're seducing an older guy, they'll feel bad enough about it without you emphasising the difference."
Payson still looked hurt and now for more than one reason. "Then why would you keep the tape, if you knew Sasha hadn't done anything wrong."
"Because it was useful." Lauren was honest. "We all know I'm hardly Sasha's favourite gymnast, you and Kaylie and Emily, you all have weird bonds. He'd already thrown Carter out once and I wasn't going to risk my entire career on the gym wanting to keep Austin and Austin wanting to keep me."
"So you are dating Austin." Payson's tone expressed her disapproval.
"We're not allowed to date." Lauren reminded her "we're just close, and if he decided to leave or something else happened, I needed insurance. Sasha cares about you, I mean, it's obvious. So he'd want to stop the tape coming out. A win-win situation for everyone. No one was supposed to get hurt."
"I got hurt." Payson told her.
"Yeah, well, me too."
Lauren forward, giving some indication to Payson that she did care. "As awesome as the guys are, they're not my team, you know?"
"So we become friends again." Payson offered. "no more scheming, no more backstabbing, proper friends."
"It's not that simple." Lauren interrupted. "What happens when Kaylie still doesn't like who I'm dating, or she gets jealous after nationals? How do you think she's going to handle loosing?"
"We've always competed against each other."
"It's different now Pay. You know it is."
"We need to focus as a team."
"we have two cycles left. Nationals, worlds, nationals, Olympics." Lauren reminded her. "You say you don't care now but Kaylie is our competition for the all-around, you do get that, right? Only two of us will really get a shot, and I'm not to miss out because I'm too busy apologising for whatever I did to hurt Kaylie's feelings that week."
"So that's it? We don't even try?"
Lauren shrugged. "I just don't want to become friends again and then have her throw a fit because she can't hack that I have a boyfriend. You're not going to care that I have a boyfriend."
"So you want to be friends with me and not with Kaylie?"
"We both know that's never going to happen. You, Kaylie and Emily have been the three who are the three since Emily showed up."
Lauren shrugged.
"Make up with Kaylie." Payson requested. "I want us to be a team again."
"Yeah." Lauren squeezed her hand. "me too. Now you better get Kalie before she storms off."
Payson gave her a tight smile before leaving.
"So are you and Payson friends again now?" Kaylie was clearly not thrilled to have been made to wait in the hall.
"Yeah, I guess."
"And what about us?"
Lauren shrugged noncommittally.
"Do you miss me at all?" Kaylie asked. "because I miss you, okay? I thought you were my best friend." She sat down on the bed next to Lauren.
"And I thought I was yours."
"So why can't we just go back to how it was? No more boys, no more drama or fighting about who's first."
"Because for once I'm winning." Lauren snapped. She turned on Kaylie. "The only reason you want to go back is for once you don't get to have everything you want! When exactly do you want to go back too? When you were lording winning over me? Or when you took the Emily and Payson to L.A. without me?"
"You slept with the guy I was dating!"
"And you lied to my face, costing me my spot and you dated the guy you knew I liked."
Kaylie sighed. "I thought we'd gotten over that."
"Because I wanted you to be my friend again after Carter." Lauren told her. "it was always me making it up to you. When have you ever tried to make something up to me?"
"I'm trying now!"
"No, you want to go back to how it was and I don't. I don't want to go back to how it was, its not fair! I earned Carter and I earned regionals, and I have worked too damn hard to give it up."
"We've all worked hard!"
"And you won, you got your chance and you screwed it up. Now it's my turn!"
Kaylie was stunned. "I can't believe you feel that way. That's not fair, Lo. I didn't… I never ask to be the one who won."
"Grow up, of course you did." Lauren was cold. "you can claim otherwise as much as you want but that's why we're not friends anymore, and if that's the way you want it to stay, fine. Get out, Iwant
"Yes, Kaylie, and you're going to keep telling me not too, even though you know how I feel. This is why we aren't friends, so can you just go, please? I'm really tired."
Kaylie let out a little sob before standing and hurrying out of the room, the door closing sharply behind her.
Lauren sighed and grabbed her cell phone.
"Hi" Carter's tentative voice answered and suddenly Lauren remembered what had happened earlier.
"Hi." Still she smiled a little at the sound of his voice. "I just wanted to say goodnight." Lauren informed him, "and that I love you."
"I love you too" Carter was confused. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything's fine, you were right." For once Lauren was happy to admit it
"I was right? Lo, I was way to harsh, you didn't need that."
"Yeah, I did. You stopped me making a crazy mistake."
"Really?"
"Yeah, don't…. I liked that you did." Lauren informed him. "I think I listen to you, like I don't anyone else. You're like my moral compass I guess."
"Okay." Carter didn't really know what to say to that.
"So good night."
"Good night."
Review Replies
Lauren Carter Fan – glad you're enjoying it. Max will be showing up after nationals which should be fun. Who do you like him paired with? I've got a bit of an idea for his character but I'd love some imput.
ELM-Tree10 – I'm glad you liked it. Austin and Lauren will be teaming up a lot. As for Kaylie's forgiveness of Lauren… the way I see it they've been through a lot and Kaylie does genuinely care for Lauren. Lauren ending up in hospital (combined with her own illness) scared Kaylie into wanting to make up. She's benevolently 'forgiving' Lauren, what Lauren had to say about this was obviously very different!
Luv2Live – I hope you liked the drama! There will be lots of it coming. New question, just how many ways can Kaylie be jealous?
Iargyrop – I know, right? Millionaire gold medallist is a tough act for Carter to follow. In my head I have this idea of Steve Tanner asking "are you sure you can't date Austin Tucker instead?"
So just four reviews guys? I'm guessing everyone wants more drama!
I'm actually a bit stuck on the Steve-Carter situation. Eventually they have to meet (and also perhaps discuss how Carter was living in Steve's attic ;-) )
Coming up - New Years Eve, Lauren considers her relationships with her team mates, Becca Keeler complicates things and M.J. Martin shows up to manage Austin (and Lauren's) public image and of course Nationals looms.
It also pushes the word count over 100,000!
(So please review to celebrate ;-))