Author's Note. ***So six years later... I know it's awful and I entered into this thinking I would never be one of those people who abandons a story...alas life happened. However truly unforeseen circumstances (government mandated lock-down and no longer having to go into an office) have left me with copious amounts of free time. So much has happened in the real world of gymnastics (I am an avid fan) since the last time I immersed myself in the MIOBI universe and my heart goes out to all of those beautiful women who were affected; they are true inspirations and true survivors.

For those of you who are still reading I am so honored that this is a story you choose to come back and revisit, because of that I feel like it is my privilege and obligation to finish it for you.

Without further ado...

Chapter 26

Kelly pulled the hood of the jacket she was wearing as far forward as the over-sized garment would allow. Grabbing it off Austin's backseat had been a last minute attempt to avoid the coming confrontation, maybe if Sasha couldn't see her, he couldn't punish her. It was 9:29 A.M. and practice had started at 7, making her officially two hours and twenty-nine minutes late...and she didn't have a good excuse, well at least not one that wouldn't do more harm than good. She mentally chastised herself for allowing the smile that resulted from thinking about why she late and forced her face to reflect a look of mild contrition. Keeping her head down, with her eyes trained on the floor, she tentatively cracked one of the double doors that led onto the practice floor of The Rock just enough to squeeze her body through and braced herself.

She was half expecting a reenactment of that scene from Matilda, wherein everyone turned to stare and collectively gasp at her entrance, but it appeared that everyone was too immersed in the skills that they were training. Hugging the wall that led to the locker room she prayed to the gymnastics gods that when Sasha did notice her the fallout would be minimal.

Halfway to her destination, she chanced a glance up at her surroundings. A pair of semi amused green eyes met hers, of course Captain Keeler would take note of her absence and subsequent late arrival. Payson made an exaggerated display of looking at the clock on the wall and then back at her, tilting her head to the side and then raising a knowing eyebrow. Kelly gave her a mini shrug before scanning the floor for Sasha, while the blonde's reaction likely to be humorous her male counterpart's disapproval would be decidedly less so. She looked back at Payson questioningly and then let out a visible sigh when her teammate pointed up the stairs indicating that their omnipresent, omniscient coach was locked behind the door of his office. Well thank the gymnastics gods for small favors. Her friend gave a tiny exasperated head shake and Kelly's smile morphed into a brief smirk.

She found it amusing that for the second time today she and another person had just had an entire conversation without saying a word. She allowed herself a moment of actual fondness and slight disbelief of the genuine connections she'd made during her short time in Boulder. The easiness and familiarity of the exchange with Payson made her truly appreciate where she was in her life.

About a week ago Kelly had stopped showing up at 5 A.M. out of respect for the newly minted couple. Even with Austin in tow, and their ability to occupy themselves, they'd started to feel like third wheels. In the freedom of the gym before sunrise, Payson and Sasha did little to hide their burgeoning relationship and while neither did anything overt; thank the Lord, as she was still recovering from the embarrassment of the Grecian hotel room debacle, the tension between the two blondes was was palpable. In those few brief hours before the gymnasium came to life, they were able to let their guard down. And while Kelly was semi flattered and Austin semi horrified that the duo trusted them with their secret, she didn't relish the idea of watching their PG-13 'Cinemax Before Dawn' displays. Even with the adjustment she and Austin normally got there at least thirty minutes prior to the beginning of practice, and Sasha had no problem with them staying late. She wondered if he might have even been secretly grateful.

However this particular morning had been different. She'd woken up in Austin's bed for the first time, right as the sun crested over the lake. While they'd fallen asleep in close proximity to one another on a multitude of occasions, never had it been in his bedroom, together, in his bed. The moment just seemed to carry a heavier significance.

In her semi conscious state she'd relished the feeling of being completely engulfed by size and the warmth of his body. There was a rightness to it, from the weight of his arm curved around her middle to the way his face fit perfectly into the crook of her neck tickling the hairs at the base of her scalp. There had been other guys before him but never anything with any permanence. Austin Tucker had proved himself anything but a momentary distraction. He was solid, dependable, and most importantly hers.

Since the incident with her mother at the gym, he'd been overly attentive and it was a surprisingly welcome response. When she'd told him that as a child her mother had forbidden cartoons because they were a waste of time and set unrealistic expectations of life; he'd made it his mission to have her watch every Disney movie he could get his hands on, and every night after practice they'd pop in a new DVD. He thoroughly enjoyed adding in anecdotes from his childhood which mostly centered around when he and his sister had originally viewed the films. The evenings never failed to end with the two of them wrapped tightly around each other lips locked and the television forgotten. Neither of them were virgins so she'd assumed it was only a matter of time before things progressed to the next level and she was looking forward to it. But without fail the minute she upped the ante he would extricate himself from her, and no matter how much she outwardly pouted about it he would always walk her to her room before heading to his own. Until last night when a 'mysterious cord malfunction' alongside her advanced powers of persuasion moved the party to his room which happened to be the only other place with a television DVD player combo. Half a movie later she was asleep before she could even put the rest of her dastardly plan into action.

She'd turned over in his arms to watch him, pleased but curious as to why he hadn't moved her back to her room during the night. His face had been perfectly highlighted by the sunrise and she couldn't stop herself from tracing her fingers along the path made by the light. She'd brushed the bangs off his forehead, allowing her fingers to appreciate the silkiness of his hair when it was product free. Following the path further down she'd traced his enviable cheekbones, and then allowed her fingers to take their final rest on top of his full lips. She hadn't realized he was aware of her exploration until he caught her wrist and started placing gentle kisses on her fingertips. Threading his fingers through hers, he'd dragged his lips slowly down to her his tongue caressing her pulse point as he placed the final kiss there. His eyes had opened slowly finding her own, but neither said a word. It was enough to simply drink each other and the moment in, leaning forward he'd placed a kiss on her forehead before closing his eyes again and pulling her closer. Kelly snuggled deeper into his embrace allowing the cadence of his breath and the staccato of his heartbeat to soothe her. In that moment as they lay there, in the stillness of daybreak, everything was perfect.

Until she'd woken up later, looked at the clock, and saw it said 8:30AM.

They'd both thrown on their clothes and sprinted out of the house but the universe seemed to be conspiring with Lucifer to make them as late as humanly possible. Ten red lights and one agonizing five minute wait as a family of ducks crossed the road later, they finally pulled up at The Rock.

Now here she was trying to creep into practice over two hours late while drawing as little attention as possible. Having finally reached the door to the locker room she decided she could change-out, and slide into a rotation without drawing to much attention. It was three days before the National Team practice that would determine who would be going to the American Cup and therefore it was not the time to go getting on bad side of the Asst. National Team Coach.

She had her hand on the handle when an unexpected voice forced her freeze. "It's about time! Kelly, Payson, get up here now!" Whipping around she confirmed it was truly Marty. He was standing on the platform outside of the Rock's office holding his clipboard tightly and he was looking directly at her. So much for catching a break.

She heard both doors slam open with more force than necessary and Marty's attention shifted behind her to the entry way. He called out with false chipperness, "Austin Tucker, reigning Olympic All Around Gold Medalist, so glad you could also find the time to join us today!"

There was the response she'd been expecting when she'd walked in earlier. The entire gym stopped what they were doing to look between Austin and Marty, waiting with baited breath to see the outcome of the exchange.

Austin grinned."There's no place I'd rather be Coach!"

Marty's frown deepened. He cocked his head to the side then looked down at his wrist as if discovering some new information. He looked down to the beam, "Lauren, what time did you arrive at practice this morning?"

The former beam queen smirked, flipped her hair, and answered sweetly, "Six-thirty."

"Hmm that what I thought. Being that you are a National Team member who is aiming to make it to the American Cup and Jesolo, you've made your training a priority and your effort is noticed and appreciated. But, maybe there was a different set of instructions for the Men's National Team members..."

He turned to the section of the gym that housed the rings and the pommel horse, "Nick, what time did practice start for the male elites today?"

"Seven am sir, but I was also here at six-thirty." Kelly rolled her eyes, freaking Boy Scout.

"You see that's what I thought." He turned back to Austin, "However it is fast approaching nine-thirty and I find myself exceedingly curious as to what could have been so important it caused some of you to be over two hours late, less than one week out from the American Cup Selection Camp?" He let the question hang in the air.

Kelly watched her guy's expressions closely. She knew he respected a coaches authority within the gym but a direct challenge could cause anyone to say something they might regret. She slowly let her hood down, She wouldn't let him go down alone. Maybe if she said she'd had an emergency and he was just helping her out she could convince Marty to go easy on him.

He stepped forward just as she did and started to speak, and stopped at the foot of the staircase that led to the office. "It wont happen again Coach Walsh and I truly apologize for my tardiness. There is nothing more important than being here at The Rock studying under two of the greatest male gymnasts to ever grace the sport." Ever the charmer; he had the entire gyms attention. He launched into his story appearing to address the gaggle of onlooking gymnasts more so than Marty. "As the reigning Olympic All-Around Gold Medalist, I take my training with the upmost seriousness. Alas, as I was on my way here this morning, there was a group of baby ducks stuck in the middle of the road. While my devotion to punctuality and my training obligations is unparalleled; leaving them there to fend for themselves just didn't seem right. I stopped the car to look around and find their mother but no luck." He winked at a group of Level Ones and the little girls couldn't contain their giggles. "I tried to get them to follow me so they would be safely out of the road, but no dice. I decided I might be able to lure them to the other side with food but all I had in my car was protein powder and this," he pulled out a half eaten plastic wrapped bar. "Apparently Grrrl Bars just aren't to their liking." He turned to fully face the floor and locked eyes with a blonde who was trying her best to keep her expression neutral in the face of his absurd tale. He inclined his head, "No offense Pay, I think they're fantastic and the new chocolate chip cookie dough mmmmhmmmm!" He made a big production of taking a bite and miming a chef's kiss. "I can't start my day without one." He winked and swallowed turning back to the platform. Marty looked wholly unimpressed and by now Sasha had come out to join him, leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed observing the situation. If Kelly had been a betting woman she would say that he was slightly amused. "As I was trying to google how to get ducks to cross the road, which was surprisingly difficult mind you. I mean there's loads of information about chickens but a distinct lack of duck representation on the subject. I digress. Anyway just as I thought I had exhausted all of the options the mother came out of nowhere and started quacking at me. Honestly she was a bit rude I took it to mean she had the situation firmly under her control, and my services were no longer needed. So I backed up and took an alternate route to get here." He sighed heavily, "It was a treacherous journey but I persevered; my only regret is that it resulted in my extreme tardiness. However, in an effort to restore order and balance to the universe I will make up the time this evening and every evening thereafter until you think I've set things right, sir."

By now even some of the older girls were covering their mouths to stifle the laughter at Austin's outrageous behavior.

"Be sure to add double the normal warm up to that atonement package." Sasha said as he turned towards the office.

Marty jotted something on the clipboard before looking back at Austin. "Couple of friendly pieces of advice Tucker, one, be glad that you will be out of this gym in two days headed to Boston to begin the men selection process. Two Coach Collins and I are good friends so he will hear about this, and three should you ever find yourself in a similar situation again, you know being accosted by belligerent wildlife, maybe ask the person who's with you if she has any advice on speeding up ill advised baby duck shenanigans. She has a knack for thinking outside the box in difficult situations." Austin's smile faltered a bit as the whispers on the floor increased. Marty gave him a 'you tried it' shrug. "Parker, Keeler now!" He barked before disappearing back into the office after Sasha.

Kelly let her bag slide from her shoulder and then removed the hoodie in what she hoped was a discreet manner while heading towards the stairs. Austin was waiting when she got there and he turned his back to the gym to hide his motions. He slid his fingers down her arm to her wrist interlocking them for the briefest of moments before winking and speaking over her shoulder, "I see the two of you get a private meeting, with the powers that be, lucky you!"

Payson folded her arms across her chest, "Really you want to make jokes when Marty just practically announced your relationship to the entire gym. "

"Kel, I didn't know you were late this morning?" Austin quipped with an exaggerated surprise face.

"That would be because unlike you I didn't make a scene with a ridiculous story about the misadventures of the Olympian and the duck."

"Baby ducks, alone in the world and in need of guidance." he emphasized. In situations like that I like to ask myself what would a Disney Princess do?"

Kelly scrunched up her nose, " Really, I find myself partial to the villains. They have a more practical approach to life."

Austin took a step closer adopting a contemplative expression," Ah, but where is the fun in that? It leads to a boring, practical yet totally unfulfilled life."

She crossed her arms and leaned forward, "So what you're saying is that life can only be exciting adventures or boring practicality?"

"Precisely." He grinned, leaning down.

Payson chose that moment to clear her throat, loudly, causing the couple to return to their original positions. Austin was beaming and Kelly was glowing. They hadn't taken their eyes off each other. The blonde stepped in between them for good measure, "Well as interesting, and confusing, as that all sounds, I don't think you want to add fuel to the fire by having Marty call us for a third time."

Finally back in the present, she focused on the girl standing in front of her, "Yeah what is he doing here? Not that I'm not usually happy to see him but, it's not a National Team practice day."

"Well if you'd deigned to be on time for practice this morning,"Payson started.

"Seriously! I'm late one time,and the sky is practically falling," Kelly interjected.

Linking their arms as she pulled her up the stairs to avoid further censure Payson carried on, "As I was saying, had you been on time then you would have heard the initial speech. Apparently he's conducting meetings either in person or over the phone with all of the National Team members prior to practice this week, new N.G.O. media and competition protocols."

"Sounds ominous..."

"Yep."

None of them had felt the hardening gaze of Lauren Tanner as she watched the whispering trio. Since when was this the gym hierarchy, her arriving early whilst others did as they pleased and got away with it. Traitorous Payson and that interloping hussy Kelly Parker, were standing around blatantly flirting with her best friend's boyfriend and none of the so called adults were doing a damn thing to stop it. Where was the justice? Ever since Kaylie left the world was spinning off it's axis and enough was enough. If they thought she was just going to stand by and allow herself to become an afterthought they had another thing coming. Her simmering anger turned to blinding rage as she watched Austin brush Kelly's hand as Payson pulled her up the stairs. He turned to watch the duo make their way out of sight with a dopey, love-struck expression and her eyes narrowed to slits she began to plot. No, this wouldn't do at all.