Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Kuroko no Basket!

...

...

3rd year – Teiko

Mac raised her hand and knocked on the door before looking around the small yard and noticed that the lawn looked like it needed to be mowed and she guessed that it was normally Kiyoshi who would do that. She swallowed just as the door opened revealing Kiyoshi Miyako.

"Mac, dear," Kiyoshi Miyako smiled when she saw him, but Mac thought she looked tired. "Come in."

"Thank you, Kiyoshi-san," Mac smiled and stepped inside the house. It felt strange being back here without Kiyoshi there. Entering the kitchen she noticed Kiyoshi's grandfather seated at the table looking over some papers with a worried look on his face.

"Dear, Mac is here," Kiyoshi Miyako said making the older man look up and smile welcomingly at Mac. She noticed that he gathered the papers together rather quickly and she pretended not to notice the financial look of the papers. She felt bad knowing they were thinking about affording the surgery Kiyoshi needed.

"Hello, Mac," Haru smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, sir," Mac said.

"Sit down, sweetie," Kiyoshi Miyako said, "can I get you some tea?"

"Thank you," Mac smiled shyly as she sat down.

"Have you been to see Teppei?" Kiyoshi Haru asked breaking the silence in the room.

"I'm going there after I've been here," Mac answered looking at him. She had talked to Kiyoshi on the phone before going to bed the night before and her boyfriend asked if she could go and visit his grandparents to check in on them. He worried about them when he couldn't be there and take care of the practical things. She knew he worried that his grandfather would try to do too much in his absence.

"I see," Kiyoshi Haru nodded. "He's lucky to have you."

Mac blushed and tried to ignore the knowing smile on the older man's face. She smiled gratefully when Kiyoshi Miyako put the teacup in front of her.

"How is he?" Kiyoshi Miyako asked. "He tries showing a brave face in front of us and says he's okay."

Mac looked at the older couple and felt her throat thicken a little as she saw the worry in their eyes over their grandson. They were right about him trying to put up a brave face, he did that to everyone. Even her, but she saw through it and made him tell her the truth. She was torn about what to tell them, she didn't want to lie but at the same time… she didn't want to betray his trust either.

"He says he is fine and that he's going to come back," Mac ended up saying. "I think he's just trying to keep himself together. He doesn't want to see the pity in everyone's eyes when they look at him."

"I see," Kiyoshi Miyako sighed.

Mac shifted a little in her seat not knowing what to say to comfort them or make it seem better, but there wasn't anything she could say. She wasn't good at this. She drank the rest of her tea as she tried to think of something to ease the worry she saw in their eyes.

Mac stood up and saw the surprise in their eyes. "I thought I would mow the lawn for you while I'm here."

"Oh, but…" Kiyoshi Miyako protested.

"You don't have to do that…" her husband added.

"I know," Mac smiled, "but I want to."

They exchanged looks before they nodded and gave her a smile. Mac smiled and walked outside to find the mower.

...

"Thank you, Mac," Kiyoshi smiled at her later as she had found her place in a comfortable chair between his bed and the window.

"No problem," Mac smiled at him. "I was happy to help. I'll go and help your grandmother with her groceries tomorrow. You don't need to worry about them, Teppei. I'll help."

He looked at her gratefully and Mac blushed lightly and looked away from him. He smiled before changing the subject toward basketball and they discussed her upcoming Nationals and how her team was preparing.

"Sounds like you're ready," Kiyoshi said looking at her.

"I guess," Mac sighed. "I just wish I could see someone who would be able to challenge them. I mean…"

"You never know, Mac," Kiyoshi interrupted her making her look at him, "just because a team doesn't seem as strong on paper doesn't mean they can't be a challenge. Just look at us, Mac. Seirin is a new team and we don't have known strong players like Shutoku or Rakuzan or even Kaijo. But we made it to Inter High during our first year as a team."

Mac fell silent for a little while as she thought about what Kiyoshi had said and she had to admit that there was some truth to it. Though…she would have done her research on them anyway and would have discovered their strengths that lay with Kiyoshi and Hyuga especially. She would have discovered their teamwork was their strength and worked to counter it. So, would that still be true for them if she had been in the league if the Generation of Miracles had been there? Wouldn't she have prepared them for Seirin's strengths? Would Seirin still have been able to surprise them?

"I guess you have a point," Mac admitted.

"So, perhaps you should wait and see if someone out there can surprise you," Kiyoshi said.

Mac nodded but she still didn't feel convinced, she had researched everyone who had made it to the Nationals and…well, they'd played most of them before. Her mind was going over all of the details she had gathered at the door was pulled open and noise interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey, guys!" Kiyoshi's cheerful greeting met his teammates who loudly said their own greetings to their friend who was sitting up in the bed with his legs stretched out in front of him his knee covered in a bandage. Mac still felt saddened when she saw the bandage, like a painful reminder that her boyfriend's dream had been altered forever.

"Oh, Potter-san is here," Koganei said when he spotted her curled up in the chair on the other side of the bed from them. She smiled slightly at them and gave them a wave.

"Are we interrupting?" Riko asked glancing between the two with a small uncertain frown. "We could..."

"No, no," Kiyoshi waved her off, "come in."

Mac nodded but didn't say anything as she observed them taking their seats in the room and she thought it was good that Kiyoshi didn't share a room with anyone at the moment. They would most definitely have been bothered by all these visitors.

Mac was content to observe them interact with each other and she was convinced that this was a good team, and she longed for the happiness she saw in them. It reminded her so much of her friends from before the change and it was almost painful to watch them. Though, the happiness was marred by the fact that one of their own was in a hospital bed. She saw the looks they gave Kiyoshi from time to time.

Mac had pulled out her sketchbook when the doctor came to collect Kiyoshi for another x-ray. She hid behind her sketchpad as she listened to Kiyoshi's friends talk. Her pen moved across the page in precise strokes and she could clearly see the contours of Kiyoshi standing on the court becoming visible on the formerly blank page. The comfort of her drawing had her calm down a little and pulled her into her own bubble not noticing the curious stares she attracted from the other occupants in the room.

...

"What do you think she's doing?" Izuki asked quietly as he watched the girl that was Kiyoshi's girlfriend. She had been quiet ever since they entered the room and he wondered if she was always so quiet or if she just didn't like them. He had to admit that he was curious about her, and given that he was better at observing than the others saw the concerned looks she gave Kiyoshi from time to time as well as the sharp eyes that watched them interact with Kiyoshi. He had also seen the sadness along with the nostalgia in her eyes and he wondered what brought it there.

"Who knows," Hyuga grunted. Izuki frowned at his friend but didn't say anything; he knew he had the hardest time accepting that Kiyoshi was dating one of the Generations of Miracles. While he was playing again he hadn't completely gotten over the trauma they had given him. Izuki couldn't really blame him either.

"You think Kiyoshi will be okay?" Riko asked worriedly.

"He has to be," Koganei whined as he flopped down at the chair he had previously occupied and looked uncharacteristically depressed. Mitobe was nodding quietly beside him echoing his friend perfectly like normal.

Izuki nodded and glanced over at Mac who was still drawing and not looking at them, she looked so focused that he couldn't help but admire the ability to focus like that. He blinked when Tsuchiba passed him and walked toward Mac making them all fall silent as they seemed to realise as one what he intended. He paused just in front of Mac whose pen stilled before she looked up.

"How are you doing, Potter-san?" Tsuchiba asked with a gentle smile. Izuki blinked and looked at Mac in time to see the slight surprise in her green eyes before her face blanked into a perfect mask.

"I'm fine, Tsuchiba-san," Mac answered in a perfectly even voice without any trace of a lie. Izuki would have believed her if not for the slight trembling of hand around the sketchpad.

"Kiyoshi really cares about you," Tsuchiba commented. "He looks happy with you."

"I care about him too," Mac said quietly.

Izuki could see Hyuga watch her closely as if trying to detect a lie in her words but Izuki also knew that there was no lie to be found. He smiled.

"I don't think we're over the shock of seeing Kiyoshi with you," Izuki laughed joining them. Mac looked over at him and smiled a little.

"Oh?" she arched a brow.

"No," Riko joined in. "He has been secretive and smiling a lot lately, but he would only deflect the questions and say he would tell us later. I'm sure he wanted to surprise us."

Mac nodded thinking back at what Daiki had told her and let his words reassure her that Kiyoshi wasn't ashamed of her.

"I take it your friends know about him," Hyuga said making the room tense slightly as he watched her with narrow eyes. Izuki glanced at him worriedly but he didn't seem hostile, only…curious.

"They do," Mac said simply.

"And they're okay with it?" Koganei asked, "I mean, your Captain even came here…"

Mac shrugged, "they're dealing. They can be a little…um, overprotective of me."

"I smell a story there," Koganei grinned looking more like his normal self as he leaned forward looking at her. Mac hesitated a moment before she told them about the interrupted date extracting laughs from the others.

"Ouch," Izuki laughed. "Kiyoshi really has a death wish."

"Well, I think Seijuro actually respects him a little more for it," Mac admitted, "not that he will admit to it. He's not used to people actually daring to tell him like that."

Even Hyuga snorted at that.

...

Mac entered the gym and saw that she was once again the last one there. She sighed and quickly put her bag down and joined Momoi on the bench giving her a small smile.

"You okay, Mac?" Momoi asked.

"Just tired," Mac said yawning. She had been up late the night before trying to read more about healing potions and how she could use it to help Kiyoshi. Then she'd had a rather tiring magic lesson before Sato had allowed her to go for the day.

"You look a little pale," Momoi said still looking worried.

Mac just smiled and grabbed the basketball that was lying beside Momoi unused and ready for someone to grab it. She needed to relax and just disconnect from her thoughts for a moment; her mind was going over everything that had happened the last few days. It was strange to think that so much had happened since the preliminaries had ended.

"How is Kiyoshi-san?" Tetsuya asked stepping up beside her and caught the ball as she passed it to him.

"He's doing alright," Mac said. "He's very brave and putting up a good front."

Tetsuya nodded as he looked at her, "and his knee?"

"He needs surgery," Mac said dribbling the ball before jumping up and shooting it through the hoop. The echo of the ball bouncing against the parquet was muzzled out by the sound of the practice going on around them. "I don't know if he's going to do it or not."

"Why wouldn't he?" Tetsuya asked as he passed her the ball making her smile as she registered the strength in it.

"He wants to keep playing basketball with his team," Mac sighed, "so he says he wants to train up his knee again, but by doing that he will only be able to play a short period before his knee gives out again and then he won't be able to play again. Ever."

Tetsuya looked concerned and Mac sighed again before mindlessly throwing the ball to the hoop and watched as it bounced on the iron around the hoop before falling through it. She walked over and picked up the ball not really caring to make it look like she made an effort.

"I see," Tetsuya said quietly.

Mac smiled slightly but didn't say anything else; she wasn't sure why she had told Tetsuya that. She hadn't told Daiki or Seijuro and didn't plan to. Though, the honest concern in Tetsuya's eyes had her blurting it out before her mind caught up to her mouth.

"So, have you talked to your friend lately?" Mac asked changing the subject.

"No," Tetsuya shook his head. "I'll see him at the opening ceremony like last year. We both have been busy so we haven't been able to actually talk."

Mac nodded in understanding, "I'm sure he's looking forward to seeing you again too."

She knew Tetsuya well enough to see the excitement in his eyes as he nodded.

"You'll have to introduce me to him," Mac told her friend. "I would like to meet the person who made you love basketball like this."

"Really?" Tetsuya asked.

"Of course," Mac said feeling slightly surprised. "Why wouldn't I?"

Tetsuya shrugged making Mac frowned a little, did he really think that she wouldn't want to meet his friends? Did he think that she or the team didn't care about him?

"Tetsu…" Mac started but they were interrupted by Ryota who came crashing into them making Mac stumble to keep her balance.

"Kuroko-cchi! Mac-cchi!" Ryota exclaimed. "Hide me!"

"Ouch…Kise!" Mac groaned. "Get off!"

"Hide me," he pleaded and while he pulled back he positioned himself so they were shielding him from whoever was coming. Mac glanced to the side and spotted Daiki coming scowling toward them.

"What did you do?" Mac asked exasperatedly.

"N-nothing," Ryota said trying to sound innocent.

"Kise?" Mac warned with a look and the blond sunk while Tetsuya hid an amused smile.

"I, um, might have, accidentally I promise, woken Aomine-cchi from his nap?" Ryota mumbled looking scared as the scowling form of their Ace came closer with long steps.

Mac groaned and wondered how she would remain sane with friends like these. She turned toward Daiki who was now by her side and moved to get around her to where Ryota was hiding.

"Daiki," Mac greeted her best friend. "Care to tell me what you're doing?"

"I'm going to kill him!" Daiki growled and narrowed his eyes when Mac moved to stop him from getting past her. "Kenzie…"

"Daiki," she said right back with an arched brow.

"Move," he said but didn't make a move to get past her anymore instead he was glaring over her shoulder at where Ryota was cowering.

"No, calm down and stop trying to kill your friend," Mac said and glared when he opened his mouth making him snap it close. "Now, you know very well that you weren't supposed to be sleeping during practice anyway so you can't blame anyone for waking you up. Go and actually do the work you're supposed to do! We're only a few days away from Nationals."

Mac almost laughed as a pout crossed Daiki's face as he turned around and walked away with his shoulders slumped in defeat and muttering to himself. Something about a great dream, but Mac turned back to Ryota who was looking at her with awe.

"You saved me!" he beamed with puppy eyes.

"Next time I won't," Mac said knowing it wasn't true and so did he. He just grinned and nodded before skipping off to join Shintaro and Atsushi who was practising a little bit away, both having witnessed the scene if the exasperated looks Shintaro gave Ryota was anything to judge by.

"You really have him handled," Tetsuya commented drawing Mac's eyes to him.

"Who?" she snorted.

"Both of them;" Tetsuya smiled.

...

"That's quite the file," Riko commented making Mac look up from said file to find both Riko and Hyuga standing in front of her. Mac blinked as she hadn't heard them enter the hospital room.

"Um, I guess," Mac said a little unsurely.

"Where's Kiyoshi?" Hyuga asked looking at the empty bed.

"He's talking with the doctor with his grandparents," Mac said quietly as a worried frown crossed her face.

"Oh," Riko said also looking worried while Hyuga grunted and sat down at the edge of the bed. Mac felt like squirming as his dark eyes watched her; she knew he was the one who was the most sceptical of her. Riko pulled a chair a little closer to where Mac was seated before sitting down herself. "You're here a lot."

Mac looked at Riko who had a blank look on her face but Mac sensed the curiosity in her voice.

"Yeah?" Mac looked confused, "Teppei is here, so…"

Riko smiled and nodded while Hyuga looked like he was thinking hard about something, Mac found it best to try to ignore him.

"So, what file is that?" Riko asked bringing the topic back to the file in Mac's lap. Mac glanced down at it before looking back at Riko; she saw only curiosity in her brown eyes.

"It's some of my research for the other teams that we're meeting at Nationals," Mac finally answered.

"Some of your research?" Riko asked wide-eyed.

"Um, yeah?" Mac hated how unsure she felt in the presence of the two older teens. She had become more confident, but it was like it had flown away now. She wanted Daiki or Kiyoshi there to get the attention off her, well maybe not Daiki… he would probably only start a fight. She almost snorted at the thought.

"Why do you need that much research?" Hyuga asked speaking up.

"I like to know who we're playing against and it's kind of my job," Mac said, "I always do the research on our opponents and note who we need to look out for. The coach will take it into account before working out the strategy for the game. "

"But why?" Hyuga asked again. "It's not like you need it."

Mac stilled before looking at him, she noticed Riko glance between the two of them with a worried look on her face. He didn't look like he was accusing her, Mac realised. No, just curious and confused. Like he was trying to make sense of her.

"You're right," Mac admitted softly easily spotting the surprise in his eyes. "But… It wasn't always like this; we didn't always know that we were better than everyone. Before…before we had to work hard for our victories and we earned it. Then…then they grew in their abilities and everything changed. You're right, we, they don't need it that much now, but I do. I need to know who we're playing, I need to know who they are and hope that they're strong enough to keep going even after they played them, us."

Mac looked him straight in the eyes as she said it and saw the surprise, the shock in them before they turned pensive.

"You did it with my team as well?" Hyuga asked shocking her.

"Well, yes," Mac nodded looking at him warily.

"And what did you think about me?" he asked or rather challenged.

"That you're a strong shooting guard that could challenge us well," Mac said instantly, "and that you love basketball more than most. I also noted that you carried your team well and when Teppei told me that he made you be the Captain for Seirin I knew he had made the right choice. You fight with everything you've got. You're a good leader."

Mac pretended not to notice the moistening eyes or the way he swallowed as she looked back at the file to give him a moment to gather himself.

...

Kiyoshi was looking thoughtful and Mac waited for the moment he would voice his thoughts both Hyuga and Riko was watching him curiously but didn't press. He had been quiet since coming back from the talk with the doctor with his grandparents. The older couple had given them a smile and in Mac case a hug before telling them goodbye and left to go home. Mac promised that she would be there the next day to help with some of the chores Kiyoshi normally did.

"There's a doctor who believes that he can do my surgery and still have me ready to play next year," Kiyoshi suddenly said breaking Mac out of her thoughts. "He's a well-known doctor for athletes; he works a lot with our National athletes in both basketball and football."

"Really?" Riko asked eagerly leaning forward slightly.

"Yes," Kiyoshi nodded. "He says that I will need to stay in a rehabilitation centre for a while, so I'll need to study from there if I'm not going to fall behind."

"That's great," Hyuga said.

Mac could see that something was bothering Kiyoshi and when he looked at her she had a feeling he was about to say something about it. She wasn't sure what, but this seemed to be exactly the kind of surgery that he couldn't afford and that was why it hadn't been an option before.

"You know anything about it, Mac?" Kiyoshi asked.

"What?" Mac asked.

"Well, I'm not sure how a doctor like him even knows I exist," Kiyoshi said dryly. "I mean, I'm just a high school kid and not very well-known. How does he even know to take a notice of me when we haven't asked for him? And then there's the fact that they must have adjusted the cost for the surgery. When grandpa asked what it cost it wasn't as expensive as we would believe. Especially with a surgeon like that."

Mac frowned as she thought as the nagging sensation in the back of her mind grew. That did sound suspicious, but she didn't understand why he thought she would know anything about it. It wasn't like she had managed to actually do anything to help… she was still working on finding something magical, but not magical enough to help.

"I don't know…" Mac frowned confused. "I haven't…"

"The Doctor willing to do it is named Midorima," Kiyoshi said making Mac's eyes widen.

Midorima? Like….Shintaro? Oh…. Oh…. Oh…

Mac swallowed and looked to see all three Seirin players stare at her.

"Oh," was all she managed to get out. Of course, she knew that Shintaro's father was a doctor and a well-known one that often worked with athletes. She was actually a little surprised that she hadn't thought about it before, she would have sought him out herself if she had.

"Why would he care about my knee?" Kiyoshi asked.

"Midorima, um, Shintaro must have talked to him," Mac said quietly. "He…"

"Your teammate?" Riko asked.

"Yeah," Mac nodded swallowing. "I didn't ask him, Teppei. I forgot actually… I've never met Midorima's father before."

"He didn't tell you he would talk to his dad?" Hyuga asked.

"No, he didn't," Mac said. "Though, that's not surprising. He is not one who will seek the attention or gratitude of others. He'll pretend that he doesn't care or even know what you're talking about if you bring it up."

"Why would he do that?" Kiyoshi asked a blank look on his face, but his eyes were sharp as they looked at her. She felt a little stunned for a moment as her mind was still trying to catch up to what he was saying. Midorima had talked to his dad. He had asked his dad to help Kiyoshi. Hadn't he? Or was it just a coincidence? No, she pushed that thought away immediately. She didn't believe in that kind of coincidences.

"I don't…" Mac started but trailed off.

"He didn't mention it to you?" Riko asked.

"No, he didn't say anything at practice today," Mac shook her head.

Mac looked at Kiyoshi who looked calm but there was something in his eyes that made her frown. She reached out and took his hand in hers making him look at her again.

"Are you angry?" Mac asked worriedly. "I'm sure Midorima only wanted to help…"

Kiyoshi sighed and looked at Riko and Hyuga who seemed to understand what he wanted and both got up muttering something about getting a coffee or something. Mac didn't really pay attention as she stared at her boyfriend.

"Mac," Kiyoshi said, "I'm not mad at you."

"But you are angry…" she whispered.

"No, not really…I just…" Kiyoshi sighed. "Mac, the surgery is expensive and not to forget the rehabilitation that's needed after. I just… I don't know how it's possible for it to be something we can afford! How can I repay them?"

Mac could understand the pride he felt, about the wariness to accept something he knew was expensive and something they normally couldn't afford. She understood, but she hoped that he would look past it.

"Teppei… I get it," Mac said quietly, "really, I do. But… it's a solution too, you know. It's a way for you to keep your dream and you'll be able to play with your friends. Without it… I fear you're just going to ruin your knee forever and lose your dream completely."

Kiyoshi nodded. "I get it, Mac. But I need to think…"

Mac nodded and gave him a small smile, "that's all I can ask."

...

"Thank you," Mac was the first thing Mac said when she saw Shintaro the next day. She had waited impatiently for her magic lessons to end so she could go and find Shintaro and talk to him. She still couldn't get over Kiyoshi's news from the day before.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shintaro huffed pushing up his glasses as he clutched the stuffed animal in his hand. She could also see the small blush on his cheek as he tried to seem stoic and uncaring like normal.

"I know you know what I'm talking about, but I'll let you pretend you don't," Mac said with a smile, "you didn't have to talk to your dad, but you did. So, thank you. Teppei is a little hesitant about the cost of the surgery and the fact that they can afford it. He knows that normally they wouldn't be able to."

Shintaro shrugged a little, "dad only promised he would look into the case. I never made him do it. As of the cost, I know nothing about that."

Mac just smiled and reached out to take his free hand watching as his eyes widened slightly in shock.

"Midorima, I know you did it for me and I appreciate it," Mac said squeezing his hand before letting go. "You're a good friend."

He only nodded swiftly before walking past her and toward the classroom. She smiled to herself before heading toward the classroom herself.

...

It was time for Nationals and Mac wished that it wasn't. She had a deep sense of dread deep in her stomach and she had to force herself to breathe calmly as she followed her team past the press. The flashing of cameras along with the soft murmuring from the journalists and other teams that were watching had her feeling uncomfortable.

"It's Teiko…"

"They're as imposing as professionals…"

"They don't seem like Middle Schoolers…"

Mac heard the whispers but ignored them from where she was walking beside Daiki. She kept her eyes forward ignoring the need to glance around the large room to get a look at her surroundings. She thought she heard someone call for Tetsuya, but she wasn't sure. She glanced at Tetsuya and saw the serious look on his face.

"Hi," she murmured nudging him slightly. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Tetsuya nodded. "Just…thinking."

Mac nodded and kept walking.

...

"Hey, Kuroko!"

Mac noticed that Tetsuya turned and a smile crossed his face so she paused letting the rest of the team continue without them. She took a closer look at the teen rushing toward Tetsuya, he had orange-brownish hair and a large goofy smile on his face as he grasped Tetsuya's shoulder tightly.

"Ogiwara-kun!" Tetsuya smiled looking relieved.

So this was the friend, Mac thought. She had been curious about him ever since she heard about him last year. It was clear that he was important to Tetsuya. She also knew that he was a strong player and that his team was a good one. She watched as they talked, or rather Ogiwara talked, a mile a minute seemingly ignorant of the world around them. She smiled slightly.

"Ogiwara-kun, this is my friend Potter Mackenzie," Tetsuya voice broke into her thoughts and she found both boys looking at her. Ogiwara smiled at her and held out his hand which she shook before letting go. "Mac, this is the friend I was telling you about, Ogiwara Shigehiro."

"Hello, Ogiwara-san," Mac smiled politely. "I'm glad to finally meet you. Tetsu has told me a lot about you."

"Nice to meet you, Potter-san," Ogiwara said after a glance at Tetsuya.

"I'm sorry, but we need to go and find the others again," Mac said giving Tetsuya a concerned look before looking back at Ogiwara, "but you're playing Kyoizumi soon, right?"

"Y-yeah, how did you know?" he asked surprised.

"Mac always knows," Tetsuya said with a small laugh. Mac didn't miss the relieved look that crossed Ogiwara's face at the laugh and she gave him a pensive look.

"Good luck and I hope we'll get to play you like you promised," Mac told him making him nod with a curious look on his face.

"See you later, Kuroko!" Ogiwara beamed and waved at his friend. "Potter-san."

Mac looked at Tetsuya and his eyes met hers. She could see the nerves and apprehension in the teal coloured eyes and she was sure it was echoed in her own. He gave a small smile and she nodded at him. It was time. One way or another, they would have their answer for Nationals and how their team would manage to stand up to the competition or lack there off.

...

...

AN: Hi again! Another chapter up, it's mostly filler before Nationals...and Nationals happens next chapter! Uh-oh. Must admit that I'm a little nervous about that one...