It was Lauren's turn on vault, for a change. Payson crossed her fingers and her toes as she stood next to her team to watch the event. Since she was wearing no shoes, the toes were visible. Across the mat, Ivanka gave her a strange look. Payson smiled like a Barbie doll and widened her eyes so they were as big as golf balls, wiggling her fingers in a wave. Ivanka looked at her even stranger. Kaylie nudged Payson, biting her lip and trying not to laugh. Lauren scowled at them, silently scolding them for stealing her spotlight, but she looked slightly amused nevertheless. Putting on a smile for the judges, she saluted them and ran towards the vault, hoisting herself into the air and using her hands to push herself up into a triple twist before sticking her landing. Steve Tanner was watching from the crowd, and you could hear his cheer before anyone else's. Lauren imitated Payson's previous look and shook her hips at Ivanka before taking her place at the front of the mat. Her trademark hairstyle, the braids twisting up into a ponytail, looked fabulous as it swung when she sprinted towards the vault once more, executing her vault flawlessly again, sticking her landing without a stumble or a buckle in her knees. Kaylie sprinted towards her best friend and they gripped each other's arms and jumped around in a circle, squealing like little girls, but you could barely hear them over the roar of the audience.

Payson hugged Lauren when she exited the mat and murmured in her friend's ear, "The bastard is gawking at you."

Lauren knew who she was talking about. "Yeah?" she said to Payson. Lauren swung around and locked eyes with Max, who was sitting on the bench near the door, awaiting his turn, Austin sitting next to him. She tossed her hair back, hands on her hips, and smirked at him from across the gym with a wink. He looked stunned. She turned back to Payson. "We'll give him something to see, eh?"

"You bet," Payson assured her. "Look who else showed up." She pointed to a guy in the front row. Lauren turned around once again. Her face registered into shock when she saw none other than Carter Anderson holding flowers, staring at her from the stands. "He acted like a jerk for a while there, Lo, and he almost split you and Kaylie up…" Payson cautioned.

"That's in the past," Lauren scoffed. "Maybe he's changed."

"How can you tell already?"

"He showed up, didn't he?" she countered. "I'm willing to give him a second chance."

"But Lo…" Payson was skeptical. "How do you know he's even here for you?"Lauren looked at her as if to say, "Come on." Payson looked up at Carter again. He was really looking at Lauren. Like, really, giving her such a look Payson wondered why her friend's face wasn't red as a tomato. "Okay," she relented, "but you haven't even spoken to him yet. How do you know he's different? There are so many nice guys out there, Lauren, why do you have to go back to the ones who hurt you?"

"He didn't hurt me, he hurt Kaylie," her friend argued.

"But do you want to be with someone who hurts anybody?" Payson asked.

"Like you said, I haven't even spoken to him yet. Nothing's going to be determined until I hear what he has to say."

It was Kaylie's turn on bars. She didn't disappoint. Her toned arms hoisted her up and she pulled her legs over her head, diamond ring glinting from the chain around her neck, hanging in front of her face. Her eyes focused on it, the symbol of the promise she made Austin, and she used it as determination to pull through as she opened her legs and closed them, the music blaring from the speakers. Swinging herself up she balanced, feet on the bar, falling into the higher bar and catching herself, swaying around and around before leaping and turning as she caught herself onto the lower bar once again. When she finally landed she stumbled for half a second before giving the judges a winning smile and she saluted. It would've been a flawless performance if it weren't for the landing, but the deduction wouldn't be so steep as to knock their score down too much. Austin's cheer was the loudest. Sasha leaned in to murmur acknowledgment into her ear before she went to down half her water bottle in one gulp.

A Russian girl went on floor. It was sloppy; she landed on her back for two of the tumbles and she was completely off the beat of the music. Her leaps were unimpressive, and what was supposed to be a double Arabian, the very move that prompted Kaylie's anorexia, was a complete disaster.

Then it was Ivanka's turn on beam, the very routine that she had done at Worlds. Sasha leaned in to whisper to Payson, "It's old. The judges want to see something fresh, like you have."

Payson wasn't so sure, watching Ivanka was like watching Richard Gere and Rene Zellwegger in the Chicago movie, doing something Payson only imagined herself being able to do. "But, look at her, Sasha, she's so good," she argued.

"You're better," he countered, his British accent very thick. If that had been a movie, several twelve year old girls would've swooned, Payson thought. Didn't twelve year old girls like people like Sasha? She didn't know, because when she was twelve she had just moved from Minnesota and didn't have time for any movies with sparkly vampires and tan guys who couldn't seem to keep their shirts on. She was desperately trying to distract herself from Ivanka, who had just executed a huge flip and landed flawlessly, not a drop of sweat glistening on her alabaster forehead. The second Sasha's hand touched her shoulder; all thoughts concerning Ivanka were gone. The warm feeling that spread throughout her whole body felt better than any victory against Russia or anyone else would ever feel. She didn't even notice her rival's incredible dismount and the heart stopping score that appeared on the screen.

"Sasha," she said to him. His eyebrows raised in attention. "I'm next on floor. Our new routine," she said, beginning to sound panicked again when he lifted his hand away from her. "I don't think I can do it…"

"You can," he assured her. "You can, Payson Keeler."

When he said her name, all her systems lit up with electricity. That's it, she thought, that's what will get her to do well. "Sasha," she repeated. "Tell me something you love about me. I need to hear it." He glanced around. No one was paying attention. The bellowing from the crowd since Ivanka's finish hadn't ceased. No one would hear.

"Payson," he murmured in her ear. His voice echoed through her head. "I love how incredibly strong you are, and how no matter what the problem you plow through it like a warrior. But I also love that in the times when no one else is around but family and friends, you turn into the most stunningly beautiful woman in the world without even realizing it, and I love the way you love those close to you. Now, I know that you will do wonderfully. Go on now. Listen to your own advice and don't be afraid, whatever happens."

Payson didn't need any more encouragement. She stampeded onto the floor like the warrior she was, Sasha's voice in her ear as she took her position, the finale of Haydn's 52nd piano sonata in E flat major beginning to play.

I love how incredibly strong you are. She landed her first move.

No matter what the problem you plow through it like a warrior. Then she landed her second, hands floating around like bubbles as she spun and spun, spotting so she wouldn't get dizzy.

You turn into the most stunningly beautiful woman in the world. Her stag ring leap came at last, Sasha's thoughts louder than the sonata, and her head wrenched back, hair floating around her in waves, feeling as magnificent as she was to him.

I know that you will do wonderfully. Payson flipped once, twice, and then executing the double Arabian the Russian girl had failed at so perfectly Kaylie's head spun as memories warped around her like a sea, but no one's eyes left Payson's for a moment.

I love the way you love. She folded herself into a flower, not unlike the way she ended her last floor routine, except this time her routine wasn't over.

Go on now; listen to your own advice. She sprung up, dancing around the floor with the grace and poise of a ballerina and a princess rolled into one.

Don't be afraid, whatever happens. Payson ended her routine with her fingers spread wide, raising her arms over her head, leaning back, extending her neck.

There was a silence before somebody burst into applause. The rest of the crowd followed. Kelly was the first to run out and hug Payson, Kaylie, Lauren, and the other two girls on the team following. Payson looked over all her friends and saw Sasha, who was smiling so wide it looked like it hurt. He nodded twice, and knocked his fists together once. She nodded once, and knocked her fists together twice. Kaylie looked at her curiously. "Its code," Payson whispered in her friend's ear.

"For what?" she asked. But Payson didn't answer as they were ushered off the floor. Her score was mind boggling, even higher than Ivanka's had been on beam. Sasha hugged her. It was another Russian's turn for bars. The girl, no older than fourteen, looked completely floored, and her routine looked unprepared.

Kelly's hips bumped Payson's. "We've got this in the bag," she assured her.

"Don't be so sure. Most people still have one more event, and the Russians are just getting started."

"Oh please," Kelly scoffed with her hair in her trademark devil horns. "Payson, if you could've seen yourself, you would be agreeing with me. Actually, not only would you be agreeing with me, you'd be saying," Kelly made a face like an idiot, tongue hanging out, "Duh." They both laughed.

Kelly went next on beam, and then on bars. Her bars were much better than her beam. Kaylie went on floor, which was much better than her bars had been. Lauren was only competing in vault.

Overall, the Russians' performance had been average at best. The only star had been Ivanka, who no doubt their coach had spent all his time with.

Payson was nervous, but deep down she knew they would win. Or would they? Ivanka had been incredible. Doubt churned in her stomach for just a moment before

Final Score

1rst place: United States of America- 181.87

2nd place: Russia- 175.21

The crowd applauded and did the wave. The team hugged and ran over to greet their parents and hug them. Payson hugged Sasha first. All in all, it was a victory celebrated with lots of hugs.

And after Russia left, in Sasha's office with the door firmly shut, for two certain people, kisses.