Title: Dreams of Ice
Author: Marianya
Part: Chapter Six
Rate: PG
Date develop:18 February 2002 Date revised:23 March 2002
Authors Notes:
Hello all! Again there WILL be a final question at the conclusion of this story and a select few that answers back with the correct answer will be given a sneak preview (via email) of another figure skating story in the works.
My only stipulation? You must have posted a review for this story in order to qualify for the contest.
Details on the future skating story next time!
Chapter Six - Triumph and Tragedy
Coming into the long program at the 2002 US Nationals...
Life was hectic as it always was in the world of figure skating, especially if the competition at hand is the United States Nationals, the one competition that would decide who is going to go to the Olympics in Salt Lake City in just a month.
In the US Nationals competition: the pairs were going first, followed by the men, and finally the ladies.
Most of the nation's eyes were focused on Timothy Goebel and Michelle Ho, the pair that wanted to focus their careers on not only their individual competitions but on the pairs competition as well. There was a large amount of controversy regarding their decision to participate in three skating events. Many said that they were spreading themselves too thin by participating in so many events. However Timothy and Michelle scored high and won the hearts of many disbelievers. Their hard work ethic as solos and pairs turned so many heads, that it now seemed normal to watch the pair skate a flawless performance and then later skate again as solos in separate events. When Timothy and Michelle touched the ice for warm-ups with all the other pairs skaters, there was no boos but applause for everyone in the competition.
The main competitors Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman were the crowd favorites and medal hopefuls for the Olympics. The second Olympic berth for pairs for up for grabs and everyone knew it.
As the warm-up skate drew to a close Timothy and Michelle got off the ice and headed to towards the back. From there they will practice the lifts and tosses, as well as work on choreography until their names are called to skate later on.
Alexei Yagudin was looking for a particular someone, wanted to warn her about someone that was up in the stands. Finding the object of his search he walked up to her and gave her a hug, "Good luck Michelle, I hope to see you in the Olympics," giving her a peck on her cheeks, "Just to let you know, your boyfriend is in the stands."
Alexei shook Timothy's hand before he departed leaving an ecstatic Michelle behind.
"What did he tell you?" Timothy asked.
"My boyfriend, Thanh, he's here in the stands. He actually came." Michelle was giddy with happiness, her world was complete she had close friends in Michelle, Timothy, and Alexei, and a wonderful boyfriend.
But her happiness was pain in Timothy's heart, with each moment he was with her, the more he prayed that someday she would be his.
Somewhere at the other side of the world...
"Evgeni your quadruple combination is still not good. You cannot allow yourself to be beaten by that traitor."
The blond Russian glide around the ice for a few moments allowing his heartrate to slow a bit, I shouldn't let my emotions get the better of me, must not let Alexei win this battle.
Evgeni's coach walked back into his office after making sure that Evgeni was practicing his jumps... taking a quick look around he proceeded to a small drawer hidden between the larger drawers on his dresser. Opening it, he withdrawed the contents and headed towards the backlot.
Passing by he made sure that Evgeni was still practicing his jumps, "very good triple combination, but I want a quadruple combination landed ten times. Go!"
He surveyed his skater being very careful about the letters that he held tightly in his hand and continued to the backlot quite a bit away from the skating windows. Once he reached the outside he placed the letters upon the ground making sure that there was no wind in the vicinity. Lighting a match he burned the letters until they were ashes and smiled, now Evgeni would never receive the letters.
Smiling to himself he waited for the letters to finish burning until he left not realizing that he was being watched by a young skater with bleach blond hair. Just a little a ways behind him was a small rectangular shaped item upon the floor where his coach was standing just moments ago.
After the ladies long program...
Michelle smiled as she came off the 'kiss and cry' area, tonight was her night, her and Timothy's. They got the second Olympic berth in pairs skating following Ina and Zimmerman. Timothy was able to go to Salt Lake City with Todd Eldridge (who placed first), and Michael Weiss (who placed second). As for herself, she just found out that she placed third behind Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen.
The medals were going to be awarded for ladies figure skating in twenty minutes as she went backstage to freshen up her tears. "Michelle could I talk to you for a moment?" a familiar male's voice whispered in her ear. Looking about she found her boyfriend and followed him to a secluded area far from the crowds.
"Thanh what is it?" Michelle asked, it must be something important if he is telling me now.
Her boyfriend of two years took in a deep breath, he could no longer stand the stress anymore of watching the news and hearing about her and Timothy's chemistry on and off the ice. Slowly he handed her a single white rose almost ready to bloom, "Michelle congratulations, but there is something I should tell you before I leave..."
"Leave? You aren't going to stay? Timothy wants so much to see you, to see the man that I love and adore so much." Michelle's eyes were genuinely troubled, her heart was hurting her so much and she was almost in a state of denial of what she feared most was going to happen.
"Michelle that's just the thing... this isn't going to work out between us. You going off to competitions and me as a medical student we hardly ever see each other," that's a lie and you know it, Thanh admonished himself, you are just jealous over their close relationship, one that you know you would never have with her. "I think it is best that we just end our relationship, we are just not going to work out."
With a slow hand he tried to brush off the tears that were already sliding down Michelle's beautiful face, but with a jerk she moved away not allowing him to touch her. With a sigh and a droop of his shoulders Thanh left Michelle behind to deal with the cold frosty weather.
Michelle trembled on the spot unable to move, not wanting to believe what had just happened. She was so happy at first and now... she lost the one thing she thought was most precious to her. What's the point of living anymore... she allowed the forbidden thought to enter her mind.
Rain started to fall as the young skater continued to stand in the cold night. The white rose fell from her hands as she slipped slowly to the cold, unforgiving concrete floor. Her eyes shuddered with tears as she trembled and cried not caring that the rain could weakened her condition. Not caring about anything anymore.
Michelle's departure did not go unnoticed, for one particular skater. The blond haired, blue-eyed friend of Michelle noticed her leaving the vicinity with her longtime boyfriend and decided to follow her as well.
Before he could follow he was stopped by Timothy, "Alexei have you seen Michelle?" Okay so her disappearance did not go unnoticed by two skaters.
"No I'm going to look for her right now," Alexei looked into Timothy's eyes and noticed the confusion that belied within them.
Swiftly and silently Alexei excused himself as he tried to follow the disappearing Michelle and her boyfriend into what seemed to be a secluded area in the arena. Alexei stood behind the walls inside the arena as Michelle stood outside, he heard most of the conversation.
Alexei's mind was a whirl he did not know why would Michelle's relationship end so suddenly and so soon after the United States Nationals. He did not dare walk in on their conversation, what say would he have otherwise? There he stood in the shadows until he was sure that Michelle's now ex-boyfriend had left her and walked up to where he believed her to be.
The sight before him nearly broke his heart, for there was Michelle a collasped heap upon the floor while the rain pelted against her ice skating gown. Not too far from her was a single white rose that was crumpling beneath the torrent rains. Michelle was trembling under the rain, whether it was because of her recent breakup or because of the cold rain, perhaps it was both. Alexei didn't want her to lie there forever, but he didn't know how to approach her without scaring her.
Slowly Alexei leaned down and carried the withered and freezing skater in his arms, allowing her to lean against him and cry on his chest and shoulder. Leaving the rose behind, Alexei slowly carried her to the break area of the arena where he knew a couch and blanket would be.
Gingerly he lowered Michelle onto the couch and covered her with a blanket for warmth. Talking a quick moment to excuse himself, Alexei walked over to where Timothy was, "Michelle is in break room, but she in no condition to receive her medal... at all. See if you could talk to Michelle Kwan and if she would be willing to take the bronze for Michelle in the ladies. I need to get hot chocolate."
Timothy's sky blue eyes darkened with concern, "What's wrong with her, what happened?"
Alexei shook his head, "I can't tell because I'm not able to say anything to anyone. Just take my word, if she tells you she will."
Timothy sighed, his heart heavy with this sudden turn of events, what in the world could have happened that would hold Michelle from receiving the bronze medal here at nationals? Nodding his acknowledgment he went over to his coach while Alexei went for a cup of hot chocolate.
Returning to the break room Alexei saw Michelle looking much smaller and meek now in the couch than in all the times that he had known her. Michelle did not seem to acknowledge his presence when he presented her with a cup of hot chocolate, "Here Michelle, drink this."
Michelle took the warm cup in her hands and quickly put it to the side, she had no desire to stay warm.
"Michelle, what happened? You want to talk...?" Alexei asked cautiously. Ideally he knew that perhaps Timothy should help her through this, but he knew more about her relationship with Thanh than Timothy. Alexei also knew that Michelle cared deeply for Timothy's feelings and did not wish for him to worry about her when he still has his men's individual to worry about in the Olympics.
Alexei however did not care and had been there to help Michelle before she 're-met' Timothy. For a time thought he had loved her, but for now she needs a friend, not another heartbreak.
Michelle's tears receded as she calmed herself down, her body still shivered from the pouring rain outside and was unsure as to whether or not she should tell Alexei about her ruined relationship. Alexei brought up a hand and gently wiped the tears that flowed from her dark brown eyes. "Michelle, you know you could tell, we been through worse times in both lives before and we always be there for one another."
She smiled softly and tried to find her voice, solemnly and quickly she recounted the recent events from the moment she stepped off the ice to the second she realized she lost the one thing she thought to be precious. She did not wish to relive those events in hopes that this was all a bad dream, "Alexei what is happening to me, to my life. When everything seems to be going well for me, something terrible just has to happen... it's just not worth it anymore... nothing is worth it anymore..." Michelle shuddered into tears once more, unable to control her pain.
"Michelle, anyone that breaks up with you is fool, fool for letting go beautiful angel. An angel that sent from heaven should be treated with kindness and love, not be let go without reason."
Timothy walked to the break room, their medals in his hands. He wanted to be there to comfort Michelle in whatever way possible but as he reached the door he saw Alexei there wiping the tears from her eyes. Staying in the shadows Timothy listened to their conversation.
The young girl smiled softly and whispered, "Thank you Alexei, for being there for me." She and her friend embraced as Timothy looked on, his heart was in pain and nearly broke... and he didn't want to believe that Alexei was taking advantage of Michelle's state to break her up with her boyfriend so he could become her boyfriend.
Taking a moment to compose his broken heart he walked into the break room, "Michelle here is your medal..." seeing her wet and tattered state he started to kneel down behind Alexei, except Alexei stood up and walked away. "Michelle is everything alright?"
Michelle's eyes were troubled, that much Timothy could see, he didn't want to press the matter even if it killed him to know. Slowly Michelle shook her head and said, "We still have dinner to go to tonight..."
Slowly she started to get up, her head swimming with so many different emotions and almost as soon as she got up, she blackout into the arms of her skating partner.
