A/N: Well…Here we are, guys. The last day of bomb week. The day it all comes to an end. It's been a fun ride and I'm going to miss you. But we'll see each other again, I'm sure. Another life. Another timeline. I'll save the mush for later, but until then, we have to put our game faces on. Victor and Yuri vs. Violet and Yurio. Who will win? Who will lose? Who will be wearing the garters? Let's see, shall we?

A little time with Celestino was just enough to soothe my nerves. I couldn't be anymore ready for this competition. When I got back to the hotel, Yuri and Victor were getting ready, running through some stretches. Chris was attempting to do the same wit Yurio, but Yurio had other things on his mind. Like a princess to save.

"Yurio," I called from the door with a bag in my hand, "Are you ready yet?"

"No," he kept playing his game.

"You have a competition in thirty minutes," I groaned, "This is the last one for the season. Come with me."

"Hold on," Yurio continued on, "I'll get ready when I die."

"Hurry up and save," I demanded, "We got bigger and better things to worry about."

"Ok," he saved his game and followed me into the bedroom, "What's in the bag?"

"A present," I smiled. Mama may have been a little naughty with Victor's credit card while she was out and about with her coach...that has about as much impulse control as she does.

"For me?" Yurio's face lit up.

"No, silly," I pulled out a box, "For me. I can't treat myself once in a while?"

"Oh," I crushed his spirits, "What did you get?"

"A new pair of skates," I took the mint and silver skates out of their box, "If I'm going to make my comeback, I might as well do it in style. What do you think?"

"They look nice."

"I'm glad you say that," I grabbed the other box, "Because I got you a pair, too."

"Really?" And there was his excitement again. Yurio dug through the paper to the pair of black and gold skates hiding underneath.

"Your old skates were looking rough," I told him, "Do you like them?"

"I love them!" I wish I had the time to weather them a little to go with his costume, but not necessary.

"I thought you would," I hugged my baby, "I'm proud of how far you've come, Yuri. Are you ready to fight the final boss?"

"Definitely," the fire burned in Yurio's eyes. He's ready, "Hey, Mama...?"

"What?"

"When this is over," he begged, "Will you teach me your Lady Marmalade routine?"

"I told you, Yuri," I giggled, "No. Not even when you're older. That's not a routine meant for you. I didn't even want you seeing it when we were at the rink the other day, but Victor bullied me into it."

"Not even to do for practice?"

"Yuri..." I scolded him, "I'm not teaching you any of my burlesque routines. You ask me again and I'm returning your skates."

"Ok," he bit his tongue, "I won't."

"Good," I put Yurio's skates on for him, "They're not too tight, are they?"

"No," Yurio shook his head, "Perfect fit."

"Wonderful," I helped him to his feet, "Go get your costume. We'll break them in real quick."

"Ok," he jumped down and ran to the closet in the other room.

"What got into him?" Chris asked as I came back into our living room, "I try getting him to do anything, it's like I might as well have been pulling teeth."

"Amazing what a new pair of shoes can do," I beamed, "They're magical."

"Witchcraft!" Victor called out, "It's not coincidence. It's witchcraft."

"Victor," I rolled my eyes, giggling at this lovable idiot, "I told you once. I'll tell you again. It's not witchcraft. I know how to work him. You make it too difficult on yourself. Or Yurio hates you. Either way."

"Yurio doesn't hate me," he reciprocated my sentiment, "He and I were having quite a time the other day."

"For the first time in how long?" I jabbed.

"I don't know," Victor pulled Yuri toward him, "And I don't care. I'm still chalking it up to a win."

"Oh, Victor…" I let out a heavy, exasperated sigh, shooting a look to Chris, "Are you prepared to deal with him if he wins?"

"I think we'll figure something out," Chris gave me a wink, "Won't we, Vitya? You'll behave for Headmaster, won't you?"

"Yes, Headmaster…" Victor blushed, then realized we were in little mixed company, "Not here, Chris. Pas devant les bébés (Not in front of the babies.)."

"Bien," Chris let it go, "I understand. I suppose if they're going to be around more often, I should learn to curb my tongue."

"Yuri doesn't know French," Victor found the loophole.

"But you do," Chris had a dirty grin on his face, "Si votre femme et votre fils n'étaient pas là, je vous ravagerais."

"Mais sa femme connaît le français! (But his wife knows French!)" I cringed, "And she doesn't need to hear that."

"Mama," Yuri wondered, "What are they saying?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." I swear to God, I wanted to knock their heads together. Those two were so lucky I loved them.

"Je suis désolé, Violet," Chris apologized, "No more dirty talk in French when the boys are around."

"Mama," Yurio came out of the bathroom, "Are we leaving yet?"

I checked the time on my phone, "We should get going. Ready, dovahkiin?"

"Born ready," Yurio must have psyched himself up in the mirror. The fire burned in his eyes and in his heart, "Let's go! But we'll have some time to get some practice in, right, Mama?"

"Yes, we do," I took his hand, "We'll meet you boys at the rink, yeah?"

"Good luck, Violet," Victor gave me a little kiss, "I'll start looking for garter belts."

"Or for real estate," I retaliated, "To up the ante here, I'll even get ordained and marry you two myself."

"You wouldn't have to do that," he awed, "But I appreciate the thought."

"Good luck."

"You, too."

On the best of terms, I left Victor with Chris and Yuri and took Yurio down to the rink. When Victor said Yurio needed work the other day, he wasn't saying it to be mean. He was genuine about it. Yurio could pretend all he wanted. As soon as it came down to competition time, he'd get jittery. That was a natural performer thing. I got the same way when I'd be doing burlesque shows. Although, my boss' suggestion for that was to down three shots of whiskey before I went on, I'd have to give Yurio a more non-alcoholic solution.

"Mama," he asked as the two of us boarded the subway, "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere wonderful," I promised, "You'll see when we get there."

"But," Yurio thought it over, "I thought the Staples Center was the other way."

"It is," I nodded, "We're not going there quite yet."

In a cute little corner of Brooklyn was a sort of hobbit hole. Not exactly a hobbit hole, but a hole in the wall nonetheless. One of those places where everybody knew my name even before I became famous. Because in this hallowed hall would be where I meet my husband and his boyfriend for this first time. However, because it was so early in the day yet, the clientele was currently nonexistent.

"Uh, Mama," Yurio looked around, "What is this place?"

"The sanctum," I smiled, "You need to speak with someone very special to me."

"Who?" he worried. Yurio rarely did well with new people, "I'm sure Celestino's not here."

"It wouldn't surprise me if he was upstairs," I grumbled under my breath, "But you need to meet the madame."

"Who's that?"

"You'll see," I didn't know quite how to explain the madame. I guess the best way would be Yuri and Yurio's unofficial grandmother. We weren't in just any hole in the wall in Brooklyn. This was my hole in the wall.

"Sorry, sweetheart," an older woman pulled on another girl's corset laces, "We're full up on the bill tonight. We're not looking for any more dancers."

"It's been a long time since you've had to say that to me, Madame," I grinned, "I'm not looking for work."

"Violet..." her heart stopped. She tied a quick bow in the laces and threw her arms around me...Then shoved her finger as hard as humanly possible into my collarbone, "Don't you ever leave me like that again. Give me a little bit of a warning next time you take off, got it?"

"I missed you, too," I hugged her back, never wanting to let go, "I can't stay long. I have to be at the Staples Center soon."

"That's right," Madame nodded, "You have that skating thing tonight, don't you?"

"It's not me skating," I nudged Yurio forward, "It's him. This is my son, Yuri. Yuri, this is the madame. She's the one who taught me to give a pep talk. Every night when I'd have to go out on that stage, I'd want to turn around and head home. Every single night. You know why I'd go out anyway?"

"Why?" Yurio asked.

"Because the madame would insist," I told.

"It's so nice to meet you, Yuri," she hugged him, too, practically suffocating him in her chest, "He's not American, is he?"

"He's Russian," I explained, "He's also not biologically mine. Yuri was adopted along with his older brother."

"Are they related?"

"No."

"So," Madame sat Yurio on her lap, "What seems to have you all nerved up, baby?"

"It's the last competition," Yurio vented, "And I want to make Mama proud."

"You made it to the final competition," I awed, "I'm already proud of you."

"But it's my first final," he went on, "If I win here, then I'll have my name spoken across the world."

"Oh, honey," Madame pointed out, "You don't look at the internet, do you?"

"The boys aren't allowed on Victor's computer," I bit my lip, "A couple wrong clicks and things are going to get very weird very quickly."

"Like what?" she scoffed, "So they'll see a couple nudie shots. Big deal."

"Madame!" I whined, "I don't want to have the talk with my eight and nine-year-old quite yet."

"Sharmay!" a familiar voice barked out, "Are the girls ready yet?"

"Keep your rug on, Ernie," Madame shut him up, "I'm with someone."

"Who?"

"Violet Plisetsky!"

"Nikiforov," I corrected. For now anyway.

"Violet?" Ernie joined us, "Lady Marmalade herself?"

"Hi, Ernie," I gagged a bit. Ernie never sat well with me. He made me uncomfortable. Out of all the guys that'd come in here and hit on me or grope me, Ernie was the worst offender. But it was his club and I needed the money. We didn't exactly have someone in HR we could talk to.

"Well, well, well," he looked me over, "The whole skating thing not work out for you?"

"The whole skating thing worked wonderfully for me," I assured, "I'm just here for a few words with the madame."

"Who am I to stop you?" Ernie let us go, but not without setting his eyes on the baby on the madame's lap, "Who do we have here? Aren't you a little young to be in a place like this?"

"I'm eight," Yurio growled at him, picking up on my apprehension, "I'm not here for the ladies. I'm here with my mama."

"Alright," Ernie yelled, "Who brought their little brat with them to work today?"

"He's my little brat," I glared a hole through him, "Thank you very much."

"Oh," he brushed me off, "Hurry up, Sharmay. We're going to have a full house tonight."

"I'll finish when I'm damn well good and ready," Madame took my side. Just like she always did when Ernie and I got into it, "And it's Madame Sharmay to you."

Ernie scurried off to wherever the other cockroaches hung out in this place. Because of our bond, Ernie was always terrified of the madame. She always took care of the girls in this place anyway. That's how she became the madame in the first place. But it's pretty safe to say that I was her favorite. In all honesty, it wouldn't surprise me if she's religiously kept up with my skating career, including my recent foray into coaching.

"Thank you, Madame," I turned into a puddle.

"No problem, honey," she cradled my cheek in her hand, "And Yuri, good luck tonight. I'll be watching. Don't worry so much. I know you make your mama very proud."

"Am I..." Yurio got really quiet and looked up at me, "Am I worthy of being called dragonborn?"

"You are dragonborn," I promised him, sitting him on my hip, "You're my little dovahkiin and I love you. No matter what happens at this competition, you are my dragonborn. Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me, kid. I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you, Mama," he laid his head on my shoulder, "I think I'm ready to go."

"We need to be off anyway," I checked my phone, "You still need to get a little practice in before things get started anyway."

"He's awfully sweet, Vi," Madame smiled, "Are you sure he's the son of a dragon?"

"I'm sure," I nodded, "He's got a lot of heart and a lot of spirit. Adopted or not, he gets that from me."

"Good luck, sweetie," she kissed my baby's forehead, "Both of you."

"Thank you, Madame," my face scrunched up, "Hopefully, this won't be the last we see of you while we're here."

"Come see me later," Madame insisted, "When the curtains close."

"But that's two in the morning," I cringed, "I think the boys will be in bed. As will I."

"You know what I meant," she scolded, "Go."

The two of us left the club and got back onto the subway. We needed to get to the Staples Center as soon as humanly possible. Because we had a competition to either win or throw. I still wasn't quite sure about that yet. I wish I would've had more time to talk that out with the madame. I'm sure she'd be able to knock some sense into me. She had a hell of a talent for that.

As soon as we got there, as per usual, we were bombarded with reporters wanting quotes from both Yurio and me. Thank God for Celestino. That's all I can say about that. He stiff armed everyone away from us and brought us rinkside where all the other skaters were getting ready for what was about to unfold.

"Where have you been?" Celestino worried, "I thought I was going to have to send a search party."

"And why are you covered in glitter?" Victor pulled some out of my hair and wiped more off my face.

"Did you take Yurio to a strip club?" Chris worried, helping out with my glitter situation.

"No," I rolled my eyes, "I'm a little more responsible than that."

"She took me to see the madame," Yurio chimed in.

"So, you took him to his first brothel?" Celestino assumed.

"No, no," Victor knew exactly what Yurio meant, "Not that kind of madame. And how is she doing?"

"She's pissed I left without a trace," I reported, "But all in all, she hopes we do well."

"Remember, Violet," Victor took a more authoritative tone, "No throwing this."

"We won't," I smirked, looking down at our son, "You got this, don't you, dovahkiin?"

"I might as well tell the engraver to put my name on the gold already," Yurio boasted.

"That's my boy," I beamed, overflowing with pride, "Where did you guys draw?"

"Second," Victor told me, "You?"

"Fourth."

"Lucky," he stuck his tongue out at me, very maturely.

"Ok, Yuri," I got down to his level, "You have two choices. We go in the back and practice a few things or you stay and watch your brother. Which is it?"

"I want to practice," Yurio decided, "If piggy's doing better than me, I don't want to see it. It'll throw me off."

"You'll do great," I kept his confidence up, taking the guards off his skates, "Go warm up with the others."

"Ok."

"You, too, Yuri," Victor did the same.

"Good luck, baby," I gave my oldest son a quick hug.

"Thanks, Mama," he blushed a little.

"What about me?" Yurio got defensive.

"We already know you're going to win," I scoffed, "You don't need luck. You have pure skill."

"Yeah, I do!" he squealed, running out to the ice with Yuri following behind him.

"Well?" Victor threw his arm around my waist, "Are you nervous?"

"No," I reveled in his embrace, "You?"

"Either way," he figured, "One of our boys is going to come out on top. I thought telling Yuri that our marriage hinged on whether or not he won was a bad idea. You didn't tell Yurio, did you?"

"No," I shook my head, "No, no, no. We don't tell them about our bet until there's something to tell."

"Deal," Victor buried his face in my neck, "I don't know whether I want you to win or lose."

Victor's words hit me like a Mack truck. It would be amazing if Yuri won on his debut, but that would mean our divorce. It'd be just as wonderful if Yurio were to win, but that meant things staying just the way they are. I knew deep down that couldn't happen. I wanted to see him happy. I guess we'll find out which one it's going to be now, won't we?

A/N: I know I said I'd be ending it this week. Well, kids. I lied. I couldn't fit it all into this chapter. So! We're going to be coming back in August! You'll be coming back on the 31st, actually. So, not quite in August. There's only a week between your next updates. You'll make it. Also, the little naughty bit of French that Chris told Victor that went untranslated? Yeah…That's not for your young eyes to see. If you're going to translate it yourself, that's all on you. I'm not going to stop you. Mostly because I physically can't. But all that aside, I'm going to give this another couple chapters when we come back, if that's alright with you. I'm sure it is. So until then, see you next chapter! xx