Hey guys! Review count is a little down, but I want to thank those who did review. You people are why this story is still going! As always, thank you to my AWESOME beta, Nancy! Also a special thanks to Amanda for making me smile today. You guys know the deal R and R.
Edward Pov:
After we got all the ice cream off us, we decided to go to bed early. Bella had the all around and an early start for warm-ups before, and I had an early race, so we both went to bed at a ridiculously early hour. Although the fact that Bella and I were cuddling together in my suite kind of made up for the fact that we were going to bed at 10:00 at night.
Bella was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, but I stayed awake for awhile thinking. I watched her sleep, stroking her hair, while mindlessly humming a sort of lullaby….
"But I know I can do it. My knee is fine and I have been training for this for years…."
I must have dozed off because Bella's sleep talking shocked me back into consciousness.
"I am not too green. I worked for and won my spot just like everyone else. No I have to compete!"
Bella's voice became frantic. I shook her awake. "Ahhh! Oh, sorry Edward," she muttered wiping some stray tears from her eyes.
"Are you alright?" I questioned, concerned.
"Hmm hmmm," she sniffled. I pulled her close to my chest, stroking her cheek with my thumb.
She began crying in earnest. "Shhh, love, it's alright," I comforted.
She mumbled something into my chest that sounded like a question, but I couldn't understand her. She looked up. "Edward, what if I can't do it? What if I am not good enough?" She asked me.
I laughed quietly. "You know for being an observant person, you really don't see yourself clearly at all." She looked directly into my eyes, seeking clarification.
"You are an amazing gymnast and an even more amazing woman. You won us the gold medal! You will do amazing and I would be here to comfort you even if you completely mess up every routine, but you won't need me for that- I'll be too busy celebrating your win with you."
She seemed touched, comforted, and a little skeptical, but I began humming that lullaby again and she quickly fell back asleep cuddled to my chest. Her warm body curled against mine also quelled any doubts I had about my own races and I also swiftly fell into dreamland.
BEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBE
Bella Pov:
"Damn leotard," I cursed. I was trying to pull the Speedo leotard on and it was stuck at my hips. It was adorable and aerodynamically correct, but adorable and aerodynamically correct equals a pain in the you-know-what to get on. It probably didn't help that I was a little jittery with nerves.
I gave a hard tug and prayed it wouldn't rip. With a satisfying snap, the leotard finally fell into place on my body. Now it was time to do my hair and makeup. Carlisle held Alice back after we warmed up, and I was on my own for my hair and stuff. Normally that wasn't a big deal, I had been grudgingly been doing my makeup for meets for years, but I was so full of nervous energy that it was more than likely that I would end up with an eyeliner mark going across my face.
Ok, so I was obsessing over the little stupid things, but it was keeping me focused on something other that what I was about to do. If I focused too early I could lose it, but focusing late could be bad too.
BEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBE
Edward Pov:
"Damn Speedo!" I cursed. They may be aerodynamically correct and supposedly meant to cut out on friction, but they were a pain in the you-know-what to get on. I tugged harder, praying that it wouldn't rip and then I would have to start all over. I got it past my hips- the hard part was done, and with a final tug, settled it into place.
I gave it one more check and walked out of the room. "Race time."
BEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBE
Bella Pov:
Thud! I landed, delegating the absorption. My body hung in that moment of imbalance, before reaching equilibrium.
"And she sticks it!"
My smile rose with my arms, and I straightened in the formal salute.
I walked off the mat wiping the excess chalk from my hands. It wasn't as easy to wipe the smile from my face.
Three events were down, two almost perfect with stuck landings. The third vault, always my weak spot, I pulled off with minor mistakes- a small step on the landing and my left shoulder was slightly misaligned on the takeoff. I was still in the running with just my beam routine left.
I was met at the edge of the mat by Bela with a hug. Alice and Carlisle waved and smiled from where he was giving her a last minute rundown before her turn on beam. Alice mouthed 'one, two,' and I held up one finger then two with a smile.
I looked up at my score, and felt my heart leap, then fall into my stomach. I was in second and that was the worst place for me.
My mind began running a mile a minute slipping from the block I had made. I was in second if I kept a clean routine, then I could take gold. But if I messed up in my routine, which was more than likely due to its newness and difficulty, I could fall out of the medals.
"Stop." I looked up from reapplying the tape to my knee, and pulled out the ear buds of my Ipod. Bela was standing there looking at me with a knowing look in his eyes.
"I know what you are thinking, and you need to stop. You can do this and you know that. You own that routine Isabella, and that is that. Here." He handed me a small jewelry box tied with a ribbon.
I took it from him and opened it. Sitting on the black satin inside, were two post earrings with the Olympic rings interlocking. It was white gold and beautiful, the message behind them was even more beautiful.
"I give these to all of my champions, Mary Lou and everyone else that I have ever coached all the way to the gold. You are now one of my champions that I am proud of and so these are yours."
"But I haven't won yet. I could end up with the silver or not even medal at all."
"Isabella, listen to me. Whether you take gold, silver or if you walk out of here in last place, you are still a champion. You have more than proven that to me, to the judges, and to the world. Now all you have to do is prove it to yourself."
I was at loss for words. I hugged him and tried to put what I couldn't say into the embrace. I think he got it, because it was with a glistening in his eyes that he sent me to prepare to take my turn as the last gymnast on the last apparatus of the night.
BEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBE
Edward Pov:
One more gold down, and no it's significance was not lost on me, it just hadn't all sunk in yet. I had hit the wall, taking first and breaking yet another world record. Now I was currently trying to break another world record- namely making it from the pool, through the fans and then reporters, and to the gymnastic stadium before Bella finished for the night. I had promised myself if I won another gold, I could go see her compete.
Instead of fighting through the packed main entrance, I slipped through an athlete's door in the back, waving at the familiar security guard at the entrance.
The stands were packed, but I saw an open seat right near the rail above where the gymnasts kept their stuff and warmed up. Perfect.
I just caught sight of Bella, who was warming up, when Bela Karolyi approached her. I missed what transpired between them, thanks to a perky shopaholic I called my sister.
She was waving enthusiastically, and I couldn't help but smile hugely and wave back. I held up one finger to her, which we developed as a way to say good luck when we were little. She reciprocated the action, and then pointed to Bella. I raised my eyebrows at her and laughed when dad reproached her for not focusing.
I refocused my attention on Bella to watch her warm up. She looked so focused and there was an emotion on her face that I didn't readily recognize.
I fluctuated between watching Alice compete and Bella warm up. I cheered as my sister pulled off a practically flawless routine, keeping her in the gold, and then caught my breath as the announcer called out the last gymnast of the night's name.
"Isabella Swan! United States of America!"