And so, the girls of The Rock watched as the world spun madly on without actually spinning off its axis. A lot changed quickly and yet, so many things still stayed the same. The Olympic trials came and went, placing Payson and Lauren squarely in the first and second slots on the American team. While a girl from Houston took the coveted third spot, both Kelley and Kaylie came in fourth and fifth. Sasha was named as one of the coaches of the team along with a former national champion who coached at a rising gym in New Hampshire. The media had already all but placed the gold medals around the team's necks.

With their professional lives placing them in the media and their routines stronger than ever, there wasn't a lot of time to focus on their personal ones. However, between practices and training, between interviews and photo shoots, between team meetings and one-on-one private sessions, between the world of professional gymnastics and being an eighteen-year-old girl, they all found time to come to terms with what had gone down the past several months.

For Payson, that meant finally coming clean with both of her parents about everything that was going on with Sasha. Mark had yelled for a solid hour when Payson had calmly explained everything to her parents over dinner, Sasha silently holding her hand beneath the dining room table. Her mother had been much quieter, and Payson suspected then and there that perhaps Kim had known all along. Once her father had calmed down enough to actually have a civil conversation, Payson outlined her plans to keep the relationship quiet and on the back burner until after the Olympics. She also indicated that she planned to abide by all the rules set forth by her parents about curfews and dating in general. As mature as she appeared, both Kim and Mark knew better. Their daughter might be a mature professional athlete but she was still an emotional and hormonal teenager.

"You will not spend time with Sasha alone at his trailer," Mark had told her as he started to count off the rules on his left hand. "And you will be home at nine during the week, no later – not even for so-called training at the Rock. Sasha is free to come here and see you if he wants to spend time with you somewhere other than in public. If your grades slip or if we think even for a minute that this is getting in the way of your training, it ends. Do you understand me?"

Payson nodded dutifully at her father, not bothering to hide the small smile on her face. Kim turned to Sasha. "How about you, Belov? You got it?"

"Kim, Mark, I assure you that I will respect your rules as much as I respect your daughter," Sasha promised them. "Please know that this is not something that was planned by either of us. In fact, we both tried quite hard to ignore these feelings."

Kim waved her hand dismissively. "I saw it a long time ago, Sasha," she told him. "I knew it was only a matter of time that you realized you look at my daughter exactly like she looks at you. I am just thankful that it took you this long."

With that one conversation, Payson and Sasha were officially given a cautious blessing from the Keelers to move forward with their relationship. Payson worked diligently to make sure that her training didn't suffer an ounce from the inevitable distractions falling in love with her coach provided and suppressed every urge she had from kissing him after she managed to finally land the monstrous tumbling pass Sasha had designed especially for her Olympic floor routine. It was the same one that gave her name to a new maneuver and would help her win the gold medal on the apparatus in London. However, she wasn't able to stop herself from kissing him there on the blue mat as a million cameras flashed around her.

Meanwhile, Kaylie had slowly started to come back to full power in the last days leading up to London. With hard work and support from her entire team, she was finally ready to take on the bars with the full power that she'd had for so long. Everyone was surprised when it was Lauren who helped her perfect her routine, spending countless hours in the Annex with her until she was able to land each move without faltering. Lauren's bristly approach to competition was exactly what Kaylie needed to push her back to the next level.

"Watch your hip, Kaylie!" Lauren hollered as her petite teammate soared backward toward the high bar. Her ponytail flew around her face as she pulled herself up into a handstand and then flipped around twice before switching back to the low bar. "Nice, Kay. Keep those arms strong."

It was hours of this, of scrutinizing every little thing, that ended in the two of them really becoming friends again. When Sasha found them asleep on the mat one afternoon, a notebook of handwritten notes and diagrams between them, he knew that his team was finally starting to come back together. Payson told him a few days later that Kaylie had forgiven Lauren for everything and Lauren had promised to let everything else go. His girlfriend seemed relieved to have two of her best friends back on speaking terms again, and as long as it was good for the team, that was all he really needed to know.

The endless hours of work paid off when Kaylie got a coveted silver medal for her bars routine. Even with Sasha nearby and her parents waiting just off the corner of the mat, it was Lauren's arms that Kaylie flew into as soon as her scores were announced. Burying her face in Lauren's shoulder, she couldn't stop the tears from coming. "You did it, Kay!" Lauren whispered happily in her friend's ear, hugging her tightly. "I am so proud of you." Kaylie grinned at her friend before rushing over to hug her parents and her new boyfriend and an old friend of Lauren's, Razor.

Kelley received the same kind of support from Payson, Kaylie and even Lauren when she won a silver of her own on the vault. Although her past injuries had haunted her, her relationship with Carter had blossomed and driven her to want to be stronger both physically and emotionally. He had believed in her when everyone else had hated her, something Lauren had once confided in her that she could understand. It was part of what made him special, Lauren reasoned with Kelley, and that was what she needed to focus on instead of the negative voices of her mother and all the other gymnastic naysayers.

Kelley still couldn't believe that she was friends with Lauren Tanner. Even more than that, she couldn't believe that it was her current boyfriend and Lauren's ex that brought them together. She was happy, however, that Carter and Lauren had slowly found themselves on good terms again. The whole team, the men and women gymnastics squads, spent a lot of time together leading up to the Games and then in London. After a cup of coffee at the trials in San Jose, Lauren and Carter had finally made up. Kelley had hugged them both afterward before Lauren started teasing her about being a sap.

"Baby, you got it!" Carter screamed as Kelley came jogging off the mat to rejoin her team. She turned back to look up at the scoreboard and saw her name falling into the second slot. Even though it knocked Payson down to third place, she couldn't help but celebrate. "I am so proud of you." Kelley beamed up at Carter then and allowed him to pull her into a hug. "Seriously, Kel, you have no idea. I love you so much."

"Love you, too," she replied quickly before pulling away and smiling up at him as the rest of her teammates came over. Lauren was the first to reach her, grabbing Kelley's hand as they both jumped up and down. Payson and Kaylie soon joined them, ending in a group hug. It had taken a long time for them to get there, but Kelley finally felt like she belonged on the team. She actually had friends.

However, even with all the other medals that the girls of the rock managed to pull down, it was surprisingly Lauren Tanner that came out on top. While Payson would go on to win a silver in the beam and a bronze on both the vault and bars in addition to her gold on the floor, it was only enough to earn her second place in the All-Around. She just couldn't beat Lauren's three gold medals on bars, vault and beam and single silver on floor. The blonde powerhouse had come to symbolize the 2012 Olympics for the American Women's Gymnastics Team and forever cemented her place in sports history when the gold All-Around was slipped around her neck.

"I am so glad we got you up to that triple," Sasha laughed as she came back to join her team, handing off the bouquet of roses to one of the trainers so that she could fully hug her coach. "Lauren, you have come farther than any athlete I have ever worked with. I am very proud of you."

Lauren fingered her medal casually before looking up at Sasha. "That means more to me than any piece of hardware ever could," she told him honestly. "It has been an honor training with you, Sasha. Thank you for believing in me even when I didn't think you did."

Payson watched the exchange with a proud smile before temporarily breaking up the conversation. With her own silver medal dangling from her neck, she couldn't have been prouder of her best friend. Even if she had always dreamed of gold, she knew that the reality was so much better. This was the path her journey was meant to take, and she was surprisingly okay with it. Lauren had been the better gymnast this time around, and Payson didn't regret anything she had done herself even a little bit. She had her Olympic gold for a floor routine that meant the world to her because it was what had started all of this in the first place. That would forever be her love letter to the gymnastics world.

"Congrats, Lo!" Payson said softly in her best friend's ear as the two of them hugged tightly. "You were awesome. You deserve this."

"We both deserve this," Lauren emphasized as she tapped her friend's silver medal. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, Pay. Our entire team is here because of you."

"Speaking of team," Payson announced as Kelley and Kaylie joined them. The four girls pulled into a group hug, bowing their heads tightly together. A surprise girl from the German team had taken the bronze, keeping it just out of Kelley's reach, but they all had their own individual medals to show for their performances in London. "You guys, this is it."

"Not even close," Kaylie announced. "It's just beginning, Pay."

"What is?" Kelley asked, her eyebrow raised. The closing ceremony was in two days.

"Life, KP," Payson smiled as she looked over Kaylie's shoulder at Sasha. "The rest of our lives outside gymnastics finally lies ahead. The world is wide open. We get to be normal."

"Us normal?" Kaylie laughed as her eyes found Razor's in the crowd. She was glad he was just a little abnormal because it made her own idiosyncrasies seem perfect. "I think I'll take whatever comes next just as it is without trying to make it this so-called normal."

"Yeah, I don't think we were made for normal," Kelley agreed before glancing to where Carter was waiting for the men's All-Around announcements on the mat with the other men. "Besides, I still have to wait a few more minutes to see if my other half has four more years of training or something else entirely lying ahead."

Lauren followed Kelley's eyeline to the mat to spot her own boyfriend. Austin had never looked more handsome than he did then, his dark hair shining beneath the spotlight. He had been amazing, pulling off a perfect run of four gold medals in the All-Around competition. It was only a matter of minutes before he would be named as the best male gymnast in the world for the second time in his career.

In fact, five minutes later, Austin was wiping away tears as the last notes of the National Anthem faded away and he stepped off the winner's block to finally catch up with his girlfriend. Carter was a few steps ahead of him, clutching his bronze medal as he pulled Kelley into a deep kiss. Everything else was a blur as Lauren met him halfway across the mat, launching herself into his waiting arms. "Baby, we did it," he whispered as he pressed his forehead to hers. He didn't kiss her yet, content just to look down in her eyes as their gold medals clinked together. "We did it." Someone somewhere captured the moment with a beautiful photograph that would later find its way to his nightstand.

Lauren and Austin had fought longer and harder than anyone to get there. After that day in Sasha's office, they had worked separately for a full week before Lauren had sought him out in the parking lot after practice. "This, none of it, works without you anymore," she had told him tearfully as she leaned against his motorcycle. "I don't care if everyone else thinks it's good for me because you're good for me, Austin. You make me better. I miss you so much."

"Oh, Lo," he said as he hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head carefully. "You are so much better than you could ever know, but that doesn't matter. You don't have to do anything without me if you don't want. You say the word and I'm right there."

"The word," she whispered. "I love you, Austin."

It took him another month to say those three words back to her in the way that she deserved and he truly meant. Lauren was the girl who made Austin want to be different and made him better, a fact that he declared proudly in all the interviews leading up to London. Getting his second gold medal meant nothing compared to having Lauren love him. In his mind, he had already won.

And now, standing in the middle of thousands of people, Austin only saw Lauren. He only saw the love and pride shining in her eyes as she slipped off her own gold medal and placed it around his neck. Austin followed suit, sliding his own gold medal over her head. It meant more than exchanging any kind of rings ever could. It cemented the future that they both knew they would have together, even if it wasn't going to come for a few more years. It said "I love you" and "You love me" and everything else that he had ever wanted to say to her before.

"Alright, alright, we need to get lined up for the team announcements," Sasha called out as he broke up the intimate moment between them. "Come on, Tucker, get back with your team."

Lauren kissed him one last time before taking her place between Kaylie and their team's captain, Payson. The girls all grabbed each other's hand and stepped to the edge of the mat as the men's teams took the floor. Austin winked at her before smiling up toward the flashing cameras parked right in front of him and Carter.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in third place, the team from South Korea," the announcer called over the loud speaker as the team of six gymnasts stepped forward to have their bronze medals placed around their necks.

After a few minutes, the announcer came back on to announce that the men's team from the United States had won the silver medal. Considering that the team had been called weak in the weeks leading up to competition, winning second place was no easy feat. As the team captain, Austin stepped forward first to get his silver medal. Lauren and Kelley were probably clapping loud than anyone in the entire arena as Carter was the next to get his.

One the Romanian name had rightfully been given their gold medals, the women's teams took the floor. The girls were still holding hands as they stepped into the middle of the mat. The crowd was incredibly loud, waving flags and shouting the names of their homelands. However, it was the constant call of "USA! USA! USA" that stood out above the rest. Lauren took a moment to let it all soak in before seeking out her own father in the crowd. She smiled and mouthed a quick "I love you" to him. Steve placed his hand over his heart and nodded. This moment was a culmination of both their dreams coming true. Lauren would have never made it here without him.

"Winning the bronze is Team Germany."

Payson and Kaylie squeezed Lauren's hands tightly on either side of them. Under the new rules, the team competition scores had been kept secret, so nothing was for certain yet. They dropped hands only for a moment to politely clap before grabbing onto one another again. It seemed like the entire team was holding their breath, waiting for the next sentence to let them know if everything they had worked on their entire lives had finally paid off.

"With the silver bronze, Team China."

"Holy shit!"

Everyone was surprised when the exclamation came from Payson. She couldn't help but cover her mouth and hide her wide grin. They had actually won. It was all but confirmed a few moments later when the announcer finally said, "The gold medal goes to Team USA!" The six gymnasts immediately circled around and hugged tightly, bowing their heads together again as they had after Payson and Lauren had won their individual medals. Their tight group was only pulled apart with the Olympic Committee made its way over to give them their golds.

Lauren was the first to cry as the Star Spangled Banner started to blare inside the arena. She looked at Payson and then at Kaylie before glancing down the line at Kelley. She moved closer and took Payson's hand again. Kaylie locked her fingers around Kelley's before the line of six gymnasts former again. This was their moment, one that no one else could ever understand or take away from them.

Once they had posed for all the required pictures and received their congratulations from the other teams, judges and officials, the Rock girls headed straight for their coach to celebrate. Sasha hugged each of them, holding onto Lauren and Payson for a beat longer than the others. "Fetele mele," he said, looking down at them. "You are the best that I have ever worked with, and no other team will ever mean as much to me as you. I am so proud of you – of all of you."

"He's not the only one who is proud!" a familiar voice called out as a lanky brunette came over to join them. Emily had longer hair and a few more curves than the old days, but with a one-year-old Katherine Sasha Kmetko-Young on her hip, she was still the same girl they had always known. The group circled around her to hug their friend. No one said that she should have been there because no one thought that anymore. Kelley was meant to be on that team and Emily was meant to have her daughter. As Damon finally made his way through the crowd to join his family, no one could have argued with that fact.

Eventually, the rest of the families made their way down. Lauren watched as Mark Keeler shook Sasha's hand, Payson, Becca and Kim exchanging a tight hug nearby. Once Kim had hugged Sasha and Mark had hugged his daughter, Payson found her way into Sasha's arms. "I guess the cat's out of the bag, huh?" she grinned as she looked up into his eyes.

"It would appear so, frumoasa mea campion," he smiled before kissing the tip of her nose. "You look beautiful in gold."

"Thank you," she replied. "For everything."

"Mhm," he murmured before slanting his mouth over hers. "I love you, Payson Keeler."

"And I love you, Sasha Belov," she retorted.

Lauren eventually moved her eyes to where Alex Cruz had his daughter wrapped in a tight embrace, Ronnie and Leo both hot on his heels. Razor waited patiently while Kaylie greeted her family before placing a small kiss on his girlfriend's lips. Kelley was nearby with her own mother, not allowing her to take this moment away from her, as Carter kept his arm tightly around her and his own family congratulated her. She smiled at that more than anything, seeing Carter's dad there. However, she soon lost sight of the Andersons when her own father made his way to her.

"Lauren, sweetheart, I am so proud of you!" Steve told her as he hugged her tightly. She could see the tiny tears sparkling in his eyes, causing a few of her own to finally trail down her cheek. "You were – are – amazing."

"I owe you this, Daddy," she said as she handed him her team gold medal. "You gave up everything so that I could make it here, and even when I didn't appreciate it, I always knew that. Thank you so much for believing in me and loving me when I didn't really deserve it. I never once doubted that I could make it here somehow as long as I had you to believe in me."

"Oh, Lauren," he murmured as he hugged her. "Your mother would be so proud."

Lauren took a minute to glance heavenward and thank God for her father and even her mother. It wasn't a conventional life but it was hers, and she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. "I guess I should be congratulating both of you," Steve said suddenly as Austin came over. He extended his hand and shook Austin's. "You were great this week, Austin."

"Thank you, sir," he said politely before smiling at his girlfriend. "Hey, Champ."

"Champ, hmm, I like the sound of it," she bemused. "So we just won Olympic gold, now what?"

"Disney World?" Austin joked.

"I'm thinking more like sleeping for two days and a whole lot of junk food!" she grinned. "I already know all the things I want Maggie to make me."

"How about some of my famous chocolate chip cookies?" Summer asked as she joined them.

Lauren smiled and hugged her tightly. "That'd be perfect."

"Girls, we need you over here for some more photos," Sasha called out.

"That's me," Lauren said before hugging Summer and then her father one more time. "I'll see you back at the hotel, right?"

"Of course, we have a team dinner to celebrate," Steve grinned before kissing his daughter's forehead one last time. "I am so proud of you, Lauren. Congratulations again, Austin."

Once they were finally alone, Lauren crept to her tiptoes to fully kiss Austin again. "Yup, still the same," she said as she pulled away. "I thought maybe kissing as a champion would be different, but its' not."

"Good, I don't want anything to change."

"Anything?"

"I wouldn't change a single thing, Lauren Tanner," Austin promised. "I love you, Lo."

"I love you, too, Aus," she grinned.

"C'mon, Lo, quit making googly eyes at Tucker and get your butt over here!" Payson hollered out.

Lauren reluctantly let go of Austin and smiled widely as she ran over to meet up with Payson, Kaylie and Kelley. This is where it all began. Before there were boys and drama, before expectations and rankings, before gold medals and injuries, there were girls and gymnastics. As they smiled at the camera and then each other, everything that had happened before now no longer mattered. They were no longer stuck between two worlds. They had been catapulted into an entirely new one. Sure, they were Olympic gold medalists and American gymnasts and teammates, but they were still friends first. Long after the next team had come and gone and the world had forgotten about the Rock girls, they would still know and love each other without condition. Kelley and Kaylie and Payson and Lauren couldn't think of a better way for their Olympic stories to end.

FIN.

Author's Note: I know that this is a rather abrupt end to the story, but I hope I still did it justice. I have lost the bug to write this story but still wanted to make sure it got wrapped up. Thank you all so much for your reviews and kind words of encouragement. It is deeply appreciated.