Whispered Promises

Chapter 28

As expected, Sergei and Chloe walked away with their Gold medal without any of the other pairs coming even close to upsetting them. Judged the winners, unanimously, they found themselves standing at the top of the podium, Gold medals resting over their hearts as the national anthem of the United States played in the sold out arena and their country's flag lifted into the air.

A few comments and some speculative glances had been made regarding Chloe's more voluptuous figure, but the only rumors that had circulated were those that had insinuated she'd had some 'help upstairs'. The very thought that there were people who believed she'd bought herself a set of boobs had her laughing uproariously. Better to think something so outrageous than for the real reason to be discovered. Unbelievably, the secret of their marriage and impending parenthood remained a secret!

The U.S. Men's Hockey team was moving up through their competitions like a steamroller. Soundly beating every other team they played, Matt lead his teammates to victory after victory, only to find himself, two games away from the Gold Medal match taking a puck to his head that had him knocked out on the ice, and sidelined for the final games. Though disappointed he wouldn't be skating with his teammates, he wasn't foolish enough to risk killing himself by skating against doctor's orders and instead of complaining against the unfairness of it all, cheered his players from the sidelines. With Emily seated firmly on his lap, her little voice screaming at the top of her lungs, she watched and yelled and clapped Matt's boys skate toward another victory, and one step closer to the Gold.

* * * * *

Now, all that was left to do was for Dani to make a clean sweep of things.

Easier said than done!

* * * * *

The announcers calling the ladies singles figure skating commentary sent each other baffled looks and offered a minute shrug of their shoulders. "Well ladies and gentlemen, that's how it goes sometimes. The United States' best hope for a gold medal, Danielle Rocmanov, clearly struggled through her short program, two-footing two of her jumps, and completely missing one; lacking her usual energy and lightness. This is probably the first time I've ever seen her skate where she made it look as hard as it actually is. In all honesty, she looked flat and uncomfortable on the ice. It will be interesting to see how the judges rank her," the female commentator stated, looking to her partner for further comment.

"That it will, Tracey. Obviously having difficulty, as did all the other skaters in her group, it's amazing to see how the five top-ranked ladies in the world all had similar difficulties. It's painfully clear that competing at the Olympics frequently causes more than the usual case of jitters, but it's hard to watch these astonishing athletes struggle the way they did, especially after having had such a wonderful qualifying round."

"You're right, Rob. And with the long program just two days away, it will be truly interesting to see how each of the ladies deal with their less than stellar short programs, and get ready for their long programs."

"As they say, time will tell," Rob offered.

"That it will. So for Rob and I, we'll see you back here in two days. Thanks for watching and have a great night."

Never in her life had two minutes and forty seconds felt like an eternity!

"What the hell was that?" Whittaker asked in confusion, and frustration, as Dani came off the ice after her short program, having skated probably the worst program she had ever skated in her life.

"I couldn't find my feet," she growled, casting a final derisive look at the ice and shaking her head in self-disgust. Gratefully she accepted her bottle of water from Whittaker, took a quick sip and made her way to the kiss and cry area to await her scores.

"No kidding? Well, you certainly knew where your ass was - on the ice!"

Dani sent him a look that clearly said she wasn't in the mood for a lecture and turned her attention to the scoreboard, awaiting the judge's marks. Missing one jump and two-footing another two, her skating certainly wasn't putting her on the fast track to Olympic gold, and the throbbing in her left hip wasn't a good sign.

In silence, coach and skater watched her scores come up, and exchanged surprised looks at the higher-than-deserved marks she received. Granted, being the last in her group to skate, the judges had left room to give out high marks to those who deserved them, and she had to admit, none of the girls in her group had skated well. Whether it was from the pressure of actually competing at the Olympics, or simply everyone having a bad day at the same time, it really didn't matter. Now, to find herself sitting in third place, which she felt was still higher than she deserved, she managed a half-hearted smile, and waved to the crowd, before she left the kiss and cry area.

"Boy, that was a gimme," Whittaker stated, following Dani behind the curtains and into the waiting area where seating had been set up for the skaters as they waited their turn on the ice. "Third place. I can't remember the last time you were in third place," he grumbled, plopping into one of the seats and running a frustrated hand through his thinning hair, sending her a questioning look as she took her own seat and began to remove her skates.

"I couldn't find my fucking feet," Dani repeated heatedly, angrily whipping the laces free and slipping her feet out of her skates. "I've never had a skate like that before!" she growled, frustration and anger clear in her voice, her green eyes dark and flashing fire.

"God willing you won't have another one anytime soon," Whittaker stated calmly. It was clear Dani was upset with herself; she didn't need him adding fuel to the fire.

Dani dropped her head back against the chair and stared at the ceiling. "I don't know what's wrong. I am so ready for this competition!"

Whittaker shrugged. "The Olympics hold a pressure unlike any other competition. Skaters who have won every competition they've ever entered have come to the Olympics; full of expectations, only to walk away empty handed. You're not the first skater to have a bad skate at an Olympic game; you won't be the last."

"Pressure's never bothered me like this before. You, yourself, have said I do my best under pressure. Why am I all of a sudden caving in on myself?"

Whittaker gave her a look of disbelief, and couldn't help the derisive chuckle that escaped him. "Let's see now. Your brother and his new wife just won Olympic Gold ten days ago. Your parents are retiring from skating and plan to skate on this same ice in three days. Your boyfriend got clocked by a hockey puck, has been sidelined, and won't be completing his run for Gold, and you are constantly worrying about Emily, despite the fact her doctors are ecstatic with her present medical status. Did I leave anything out?"

Dani sent him a scowl.

"Oh yeah, you're so damn hot for that hockey player you can't see straight!" he added in exasperation, smiling as a shocked expression crossed her face and her cheeks flamed to life.

"You've completely lost it!" Dani fired back hotly, scooping up her skates and getting to her feet, fully intent on escaping to somewhere where she could scream her lungs out in frustration.

"Not quite, but I'm getting there!" He countered, reaching for her hand and stopping her from stalking away. "Look kiddo, you're wound so tight you can barely focus on breathing let alone skating. In two days you skate your long program, and unless something changes drastically, the result isn't going to be a whole lot different than it was today."

"You think I don't know that? You think I want my 'Olympic experience' to end like this?" Dani asked, her eyes filling with tears of frustration and anger. "You think I want to embarrass and disappoint my parents this way?" she asked in a deathly quiet voice.

Whittaker tugged on her hand until she met his steady gaze. "There is absolutely nothing you could do to embarrass or disappoint your parents; I hope you know that! Besides, this isn't about your parents, Danielle. This is about you - only you - and what you can do all by yourself."

"Which, if tonight is any indication, isn't much!"

 "That's not true. The very fact you're willing to go out there all by yourself and do things on a sheet of ice that sane people wouldn't do on a solid floor says a whole lot about you," Whittaker stated.

"Yeah, like I'm insane! Tonight's performance simply proved it."

"You had a bad night; so did most the others; thankfully!"

"That excuse works for tonight. What if I do the same thing in two days? What excuse do I use then?"

"You've never resorted to excuses before. Why would you decide to do it now?"

"I've never skated this badly before," Dani stated honestly.

"You've never been dealing with the kind of pressure you've got riding on you right now before either. But I've got news for you, Dani. These are the Olympic games, and as with any kind of game, there is going to be a winner and a loser. Unfortunately, there are going to be more losers than winners, and you just have to decide which side of the coin you're going to be most comfortable being on. Nobody wins all the time, and anyone who says they do is lying. You've been very fortunate up to this point. You've gotten used to winning without even trying. But now it's crunch time, and you've got to decide if you're going to simply throw in the towel and succumb to the pressure or you're going to go out there, skate your heart out for the simple joy and love of it and see how the chips fall. The choice is yours, Dani," Whittaker offered quietly.

Dani looked into his eyes, filled with a calmness and confidence she didn't feel and narrowed her eyes at him. "I hate it when you get like this. You're easier to take when you're ranting and raving," she stated with a shaky sigh.

"Yeah, but sometimes being quieter has more impact on you hard headed Rocmanovs," he said with a smug smile. "It makes you have to actually listen to me, and I know how much you all hate doing that!" he offered gruffly.

Dani rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and despite the fact we hate listening to you, Rocmanovs have been doing just that for more than twenty-five years," Dani countered with a smile.

"Don't remind me," Whittaker growled.

"Okay, I won't," Dani agreed, giving her coach a gentle pull and helping him out of his chair.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, and thank you," Dani returned.

"For what?"

"For knowing what to say, what not to say and what needs to be said when," Dani stated with a grateful smile.

Whittaker shook his head, trying to keep track of her train of thinking and failing miserably. It had been a very long day with a less than happy ending and he was just too tired to be thinking so hard. "Whatever you say."

In friendly silence, the two made their way toward the changing rooms, Whittaker's arm draped over Dani's shoulders. "You know, you really sucked tonight, kiddo," Whittaker offered calmly.

"That I did," Dani agreed readily, leaning her head against her coach's shoulder, and vowing that no one would be able to make that statement in two days.

She might not walk away with a gold medal, but she was going to show the world what skating was all about and why she loved the sport so much.

And she was going to show the world that the Rocmanovs didn't just walk away from a challenge; they issued them!

* * * * *

That night, Dani locked herself in her room, and spent her time thinking quietly about what was truly important to her; what she desperately wanted out of life, and how she was going to go about getting it.

It was late, or early; depending on how you looked at things, when she slipped into a peaceful sleep, her decision made.

* * * * *

When Dani took to the practice ice, the next day, Whittaker watched her from his usual position at the wall, her skate guards held between the thumbs and forefingers of his hands. A quick glance around the large rink showed him they had a full house of spectators and he scowled just for general purpose.

Dani came to sliding t-stop in front of him. "What's the look for? I haven't done anything but warm up yet," she asked.

"The look's for the crowd; not you. You'd think these people had better things to do than disrupt your practice session," he stated grouchily, shaking his head as one particular spectator yelled a greeting to a skater. Whittaker watched the skater wave to the crowd, and shook his head in disbelief. He was sure, couldn't have found a brighter shade of yellow for her practice clothes had she tried.

Dani followed the path of his gaze and her eyebrows raised in astonishment. "They must have looked long and hard for that color!" She quipped, surprised to find anyone brave enough to wear that particular shade of yellow. One had to be very daring, or screaming for attention to chance that color, and, looking at the Polish skater, so pale she was almost ghost-white, the color simply made her look sick.

"At least she's easy to see," Whittaker grumbled, watching the other five girls on the ice dodge in and out between each other as they practiced their moves.

Dani nodded in agreement.

Someone yelled from the stands.

"They're going to make it impossible for you to get a decent practice in," Whittaker growled, sending another dark look into the crowd.

Dani placed her hand on her coach's arm. "They didn't come to distract the practice session. They came to see if any of us are skating any better than we did last night," Dani stated truthfully, and a bit disgustedly. A quick look at the other girls on the ice said it was too early to tell.

"Regardless, they're a disruption. I really wish they'd close the practice session to the public before someone really gets hurt. You would think they would have learned by now that disruptions cause collisions."

"Hopefully they won't today!" Dani countered calmly, "Any suggestions?" she asked her coach.

"Find your feet, watch your back, and don't fall! Now, go to work," he offered flatly and waved her off.

"No wonder they pay you the big bucks; you're so filled with wisdom and inspiration, it's almost impossible to take it all in!" Dani teased him, and skated away.

For thirty minutes, Whittaker watched her practice, and saw a different Dani on the ice than the one who had skated her short program last night. This Dani was filled with energy and joy and a preciseness that he hadn't seen in a long time, and as he watched her land jump after jump, and sail through spin after spin, seemingly tirelessly, he knew this Dani was focused on one color. Gold!

He couldn't help his surge of excitement and anticipation as he watched her back stroke deeply into the ice, gaining speed, gearing up to throw one last triple-axel before she left the ice. The crowd around him grew silent, as if suddenly aware a moment of greatness was upon them, and they wanted to be a part of it.

As a group, they all watched her, flying at top speed, her left leg extended behind her as she prepared to step into her jump, their breaths held, silence filling the large arena.

And in a split second everything changed!

In slow motion, her mind briefly registered a flash of yellow, and then a streak of fiery pain across her calf. A jarring jolt hit her solidly, and sent her flailing into the air. Instinctively she knew the ice was rushing up to meet her and she struggled to keep from landing forward, on her face, and instead, landed heavily on her left hip, its unforgiving surface sending pain radiating through her body. Breathless, dazed and in pain, she collapsed to the ice, listening to the sound of screams, from seemingly far away.

Within seconds, Whittaker and the Polish coach were on the ice, heading toward their respective skaters, medical help only a few feet behind them, while the crowd watched in silent apprehension, and the other skaters, visibly shaken, watched as the downed athletes were seen to.

Whittaker slid to a stop, dropping to his knees beside Dani, breathing a sigh of relief when she turned her head and her pain-filled eyes met his. "Oh, Dani, girl, count for me!" he demanded, holding up three fingers in front of her face.

"For Christ's sake, Whittaker, three, you always hold up three!" she growled, her comment making him breathe a little easier, but only for a moment.

"Other than your leg, do you hurt anywhere else, Ms. Rocmanov?" One of the medics asked.

At his words, Dani frowned. Her leg hurt a little bit, just kind of a dull throbbing, but nothing excruciating. In confusion she looked down, her eyes widening, her face going white, as she saw a red line cross her calf and blood dripping down her leg and pooling on to the ice.

Whittaker watched Dani go pale, saw her eyes roll back in her head and steadied her, afraid she was about to faint. "Breathe, Dani, slow and deep," he crooned over and over. Casting a serious look at the medic who was applying pressure to the cut on her leg, and checking her for further injuries, he silently mouthed his question. How bad?

Whittaker wasn't encouraged by the medic's small shake of his head or his shoulders lifting in a noncommittal shrug.

After further poking and prodding, the paramedic concluded that other than the cut on her leg, Dani was bruised and battered, but fit, and with her leg tightly wrapped, helped her to her feet. Amid cheers from the crowd, Dani left the ice, with assistance, but on her feet.

"How's Jana?" Dani asked quietly, watching the skater in yellow who had collided with her get to her feet and begin to slowly skate in small circles, under her coach's concerned gaze.

Whittaker and Dani watched as the skater easily managed a scratch spin. "Better off than you, I'd say," Whittaker muttered disgustedly, guiding her to the edge of the ice and helping her onto the rubber floor mats that surrounded the entrance to the ice.

Dani slipped cautiously into the awaiting wheel chair, gritted her teeth as her adrenaline rush began to subside and pain burned like fire through her wounded leg. Casting a final look at the girls remaining on the ice, she could only murmur furiously, "Well isn't that just fucking ducky!"

* * * * *

It didn't take long for word of Dani's accident to hit the news. Sitting on a couch, in her parent's hotel suite, her leg elevated on a pillow, Dani watched the newscast with a skeptical look on her face.

"After last night's less than stellar performance Olympic performance, the biggest question was whether or not Danielle Rocmanov would be able to pull things together and change her medal from bronze to gold? Now the question is, will she be able to take to the ice at all, let alone add another medal to her family's trophy case?" The reporter intoned in an overly-dramatic voice.

Amateur video rolled, and there on the screen, Dani got to watch the whole accident.

"After a horrible collision on the ice, with Polish skater, Jana Jablonski, during their joint practice session, Danielle was carried from the ice with a severe leg wound that has left everyone wondering if she will be able to skate tomorrow?"

"My leg wound is hardly severe; it's barely more than a scratch and I was not carried off!" Dani commented to the screen, shaking her head in disgust as she listened to various 'first hand accounts' from some of the spectators who had witnessed the 'horrendous event'. According to some of the stories, her leg had practically been severed and she was lucky she hadn't bled to death right there on the ice. Others said they were certain she had been unconscious on the ice, and were concerned about a head injury. All in all, Dani didn't know whether to laugh or cry at some of the accounts that had her practically at death's door.

"It was more than a 'scratch'; it required surgical glue and butterfies!" her father countered, bringing her a glass of water and handing her the next dose of Tylenol-3.

Dani took the water from her father and shook her head at the pills.

"Dani, they're from the doctor. It won't cause a problem with the drug testers."

"I know that, but I don't need it. There's barely any pain at all. Plain Tylenol will do the trick," she stated stubbornly.

"There's barely any pain because you haven't stepped on your leg in three hours. Trust me, the minute you do, you're going to wish you had taken these," he argued, holding out the pills to her again.

"Thanks, Daddy, but I'll take my chances. I want to be able to feel every single twitch, twinge and pull, and that won't happen if I'm on drugged up!"

"Dani."

"Daddy, I'm fine. I didn't lose my leg; just cut my calf. It's not a problem," she stated calmly, firmly, hoping if she kept telling herself she would come to believe it.

The injury could have been much worse. Both of them knew how close she had come to having her Olympic dreams ruined beneath the silvery shine of a dangerously sharp skate blade. It was a hazard of the trade, and she didn't know of a single skater that didn't wield a scar somewhere that had been caused by a skate blade; be it their own or someone else's. This time, whether by luck or chance, Dani had dodged a bullet and come away with only a four-inch wide cut that was just under a quarter of an inch deep. It was a flesh wound, pure and simple; not involving muscles or nerves, but still cause for concern as it was her landing leg; the leg that would bear the brunt of her jumps.

"Do you always have to be so difficult?" he asked quietly, his dark eyes filled with exasperation, running one hand through his thick, dark hair that was beginning to show signs of gray at his temples. Dani thought it made him look very distinguished.

"Daddy, if it was you sitting here instead of me, would you take the pain pills?"

Aleksei's one eyebrow lifted sardonically. "That's a rhetorical question; I'm not the one sitting there."

Dani returned her father's look in the same manner, her expression a little haughty. "You don't really want to play the semantics game with me, do you?" Dani's expression changed; became challenging.

Aleksei looked at his daughter, recognized the stubborn look and knew, even if she had been in horrendous pain, there was no way on earth she would take the pain pills. She'd already decided. The pain pills were out. He also knew that she knew he would have reacted the same way. Sometimes they were just too much alike. "Fine, stick with your plain Tylenol. But when you need them," he held up the pills, "they're here."

"Thank you," Dani offered softly, sending her father a grateful smile and sighing in relief. It was impossible for her to deny any request her father asked of her; he did it so infrequently. And knowing he was only thinking of her welfare, made it all the more difficult to disagree with him. Add to the fact, he could look at her in a way that left her melting and eager to grant his every wish, she was glad he hadn't resorted to that trick. Now, she hoped her words were true, that the injury was going to be nothing more than a nagging pain, but not cause her any trouble.

Only time would tell.

The phone ringing had Aleksei casting her a final considering look before crossing the room and picking it up.

"Judging by the sound of your voice, I'd say it's a safe bet the patient isn't cooperating," Matt offered lightly from the other end.

Aleksei sent a quick glance at Dani. "There are days when cooperation is a given and days when it isn't even a possibility; we're looking at the latter category at the moment."

"How bad is it?" Matt asked carefully.

"She says it's a scratch."

"And you say?"

"Scratches don't require surgical glue and butterflies!" Aleksei stated flatly.

"Crap!" Matt growled, closed his eyes and sighed softly. To have made it this far, and to lose this way, was just too unbelievable and unfair. "Is she going to be able to skate?"

"She says yes."

Matt gathered up his courage and quietly asked, "What do you say?"

Aleksei rubbed at the nagging headache that pulsed painfully against his forehead. "I'd say if a miracle fell in our lap, I wouldn't turn it away right now."

"Well, if anyone can scare up a miracle, I'd say she can!" Matt chuckled softly.

Aleksei couldn't help smiling at his comment. He was right; Dani seemed to be as magical as her mother was, when it came to fighting her way out of difficult situations. For the first time since her collision, he actually believed it might not be as bad as it seemed. "You want to talk to my stubborn daughter?"

 "Only if she's not too tired. She should be getting as much rest as possible."

"She hasn't been off the couch since we got back from the hospital; I think she's got enough energy to talk to you." Aleksei countered, as he walked over to Dani and handed her the phone.

"Hey," Dani offered with a soft sigh, a gentle smile curving her lips.

"Hey, yourself, Darlin'. Heard you were trying to take out your competition in a less than ladylike manner," he teased, smiling when he heard her light laugh.

"Maybe I should have stuck with hockey. At least I would have had the right protective gear on. I probably should have also taken into consideration our difference in size; she's just a tad bigger than me," she countered sardonically.

"Size has never mattered to you in the past; Bob will attest to that!" Matt reminded her, referencing his teammate who had found himself on his ass on the ice, bleeding, after Dani had taken him down, more than proving she could hold her own against men much bigger than she.

"That was different; I had a stick, a bad attitude and was looking to kick a little ass. Today I was just out there on the ice, minding my own business, trying to get a little practice in. The last thing I expected was to find myself airborne!"

"You know what they say: 'expect the unexpected!'"

"Yeah, yeah, easy to say after the fact. But you're right; it was crazy out there and I should have been paying closer attention," Dani admitted.

Matt blinked in surprise at her admission. She was the most focused person he had ever known, and he knew she was letting outside considerations place her in harms way. The very fact she was scared him to death! "Well, Darlin', I would suggest you get your mind back on the ice, and forget all the other stuff!"

"Easier said than done," she countered quietly.

Matt took a deep breath, held it and slowly released it. Sometimes she drove him crazy simply by being so concerned about everyone and everything around her. She seemed to think she was responsible for making sure everybody was happy and safe, forgetting she had the same rights. There were times he wanted to grab her by the arms, shake her and yell at her to be selfish; to think of herself first, just once! "Danielle, everyone, and everything, is fine. It's time to think about yourself!"

"Everything is not fine; you get to watch your team go for a Gold medal from the sidelines. Don't tell me that doesn't upset you just a little."

Matt ran one hand through his hair and winced as his fingers grazed the line of seventeen stitches across the top of his head. If he lived to be a hundred, he would kick himself everyday for his stupidity; chin-straps didn't hold if they weren't properly latched. "I'm upset I was stupid enough to play a dangerous game and make sure my equipment wasn't secured properly. I have no one to blame but myself. Unlike you."

"Right! Unlike me who should have been aware of my surroundings and the fact there were women skating at me at twenty miles an hour, but instead was getting ready to throw a hot dog jump and didn't even see someone in bright yellow barreling toward me!" she growled in frustration.

"What do you mean, a 'hot dog' jump?"

"It doesn't matter, the point is moot. I'll be lucky if I can land a jump at all; let alone a triple-triple-triple combination."

"You were planning to throw a triple-triple-triple?" Matt asked in astonishment.

"And if everything went well, toss a double onto the end of it just for the hell of it!"

"I can't believe it." As far as he could remember, no woman had ever successfully landed such a combination jump. Leave it to Dani to attempt one for the history books!

Dani shrugged. "I've been working on the combination for a while, and my success percentage was at the point where Whittaker was actually considering letting me take a stab at it."

Matt could only shake his head back and forth. Sometimes this family was simply too much! "Whittaker was going to let you attempt a triple-triple-triple-double at the Olympics? What if you didn't land it? Is it worth risking not medaling?"

"Who's to say I wouldn't land it? And, depending on how everyone else did, even if I didn't land it cleanly, there was still a good chance I could medal. However, after my little foray this morning, like I said, it's a moot point. I don't even know if I'll be able to land a single jump, let alone a combo," Dani stated tiredly, trying to ignore the dull throbbing in her leg and looking at the pain pills her father had left for her on the table.

"I wish there was something I could do to help you, Darlin', I really do. If I could turn back time, I'd do it for you in an instant," Matt offered quietly, feeling helpless and hating it.

Dani smiled. "I know you do. Unfortunately, everything is up to me now. But there is something you can do for me. Tell me you love me," she requested softly, closing her eyes and bringing his face to mind.

Matt couldn't stop the smile that softened his full lips as he listed to her request, and his eyes glowed with emotion as he thought about all she meant to him. "I love you, Danielle Janae Rocmanov; forever and always. And after your leg heals, I'll show you how much!" he added huskily.

"Oh, I truly hope you don't wait until my leg's healed; I don't think I can wait that long!" Dani countered quietly, her voice a sexy purr.

Matt's deep, wicked chuckle made her body tingle in anticipation. "Well then, Darlin', after your skate I'll find us a nice, quiet closet and I'll show you just exactly how much I worship you!"

"You do that!"

"It will be all my pleasure," Matt agreed huskily.

"I certainly hope not!" Dani quipped, smiling as she heard Matt's whoop of laughter as he caught her innuendo.

"I'll do my best not to disappoint you," he stated deeply.

"I have every faith in you."

"Good. Now I want you to promise me you won't be up and dancing around on that leg tonight?" he teased her.

"If I must," she agreed with a dramatic sigh.

"You must."

"Fine, I promise."

"Thank you. Now you rest up; tomorrow's a big day!"

"I will. I'll talk to you in the morning, okay?"

"I look forward to it! I love you," Matt offered quietly.

"I love you, too," she whispered back, closing her eyes and wishing he were here to hold her and help her push all her worries away.

"G'night, Darlin'."

"Good night, Matt."

With a push of a button, Dani was alone. Slowly she pointed her toes on her injured leg, pleased that there was barely any pain. When she flexed her foot, and pain shot through her leg, she hissed in pain, gritting her teeth as fire raced through her leg. This was not a good sign! She wasn't even putting any weight on her leg and yet the pain more than got her attention. With a scowl at the pain pills, and a look of self-disgust, Dani downed the medication, and couldn't help the silent tears that traced silvery trails down her cheeks.

From the doorway of his bedroom, her father watched her cry silently and shared her heartache, as his own tears fell.

* * * * *

 Dani awoke with a start; her heart pounding in her chest so rapidly it was nearly impossible to take a normal breath, so she settled for shallow little puffs of air. From somewhere deep inside, she found courage and willed herself to calm down and push away the horrible nightmare that had left her a quivering mass of fear. "Oh, God. Oh, God," she murmured to herself over and over, trying to capture the illusive image that sent fear racing through her body but refused to solidify within her mind. Awaking to a nightmare was horrible enough; not being able to clearly remember what had caused the fear made it all the more real and terrifying. And that's where she was, this moment: scared out of her wits and shivering uncontrollably.

In the darkness, which suddenly seemed to loom ominously around, threatening her by its very presence, she struggled to breathe calmly, fought to bring familiar images to her mind, all to no avail. And so, with eyes wide and wild with fear, she did the only thing the brought her a small measure of peace; she dialed Matt's cellular phone.

The phone rang several times, before a sleepy, husky male voice finally croaked what might have passed for a greeting. "Yeah?"

"Matt?" Dani whispered, her voice trembling as she chewed her lower lip.

"No, it's Bob. Matt finally fell asleep just a short while ago."

"Is he okay?" Dani asked, filled with concern, grateful to think of something other than the fear that still vibrated through her.

Bob cleared his throat, and ran one hand through his hair, trying to wake up enough to carry on a semi-lucent conversation. "Yeah, I think so. You know him, he doesn't complain about anything, but he was having a bit of a rough time with his ribs tonight and bitching about the stitches in his head."

Dani closed her eyes as the image of Matt being smashed into the boards, his helmet flying off and the pile of players closing in on him as he lay on the ice. She didn't think she would ever get the image of his blood puddled on the stark white ice out of her mind. "Are you sure he's okay? Has he seen the doctor?"

"Doc checked him out tonight; says he's fine, but going to be hurting for a while," Bob assured her.

"Are you sure? You're not keeping anything from me are you?" Dani persisted.

"Dani, I may be a hockey player, but I'm not an idiot! The last thing I'm looking to do is land on your bad list. So, please, believe me when I say, Matt is fine!" Bob stated firmly.

Dani had the grace to blush at his words. Had she really become a bully when it came to protecting those she cared about? "I'm sorry, Bob. It's been a bitch of a day and I'm just worried about Matt."

"I know, and if it's any consolation, he's worried about you too. I heard about your little 'slice and dice' session on the ice today."

"Yeah, some days it's not worth lacing up," Dani stated flatly.

"How bad is it?"

Dani's shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "Not that bad. Just a scratch," she answered him, flexing her foot and unable to stop of small hiss of pain that escaped as her wound pulled and what felt like a line of fire rushed through her leg.

Bob heard the sound and frowned. "That didn't sound like a 'scratch' to me. Give it up, Dani," he demanded softly.

"I don't know what you mean," Dani countered, hoping he'd let the subject drop.

He didn't. "You don't have to sugar coat things for me. I'm the guy you smeared on the ice; we swapped sweat and swings. Remember? Spill it. How bad is it?"

Dani sighed. "You don't want to know," she murmured sadly.

"If that was true, I wouldn't be talking to you at two o'clock in the morning. Despite our differences, I wouldn't wish you bad luck on the your quest for gold anymore than you would me. We're both on the same team, and just because you wear funny skates, doesn't change things. You've made a difference in our team; you helped us become a team, although I still haven't figured out exactly how you did it. All I know is, once you came into the picture, things changed and suddenly we're looking at actually walking away with a Gold medal."

"You've worked your butts off; you deserve it!"

"No more than you do. And we're a whole team, backing each other up, covering each other's asses, when necessary. You're out there all alone, doing things on the ice that skate the shit out of us and leave us in awe; as much as we hate to admit it. Who's backing you up, Dani? Who's covering your ass?"

"I wasn't forced to be a single; I chose to be one. I didn't want to have to depend on anyone to fulfill my dreams. I wanted to do it on my own."

"And you're doing it. You're only one step away from achieving everything you've worked for. Your moment's at hand!"

Dani bit her lip hard, tried to keep the sob that stuck in the back of her throat from overflowing and cleared her throat with a husky, raw sound. "Yeah, my moment's at hand and I don't know if I can do it; or worse, if I want to do it. I'm beginning to think I'm not cut out to be a singles skater," she admitted quietly, her voice filled with sorrow.

Bob's eyes widened in surprise. "Hell of a time to ponder that!" He stated sardonically.

"I know. My timing's always been a bit off."

"Well, tell you what, when you step on to that ice tomorrow, you take a look around that rink and think about why you started skating in the first place. Don't worry about medals or winning or trying to make everyone happy. You do what you need to do for you and fuck the rest of it!" Bob stated with determination.

"You make it sound so simple."

"It is. Break it down to its most basic, most simple form," Bob encouraged her and then asked bluntly, "Why do you skate, Dani?"

She blinked in surprise at his question, amazed that he would even ask her such a thing. She was America's Golden Princess, according to every paper in the world. Royalty was never questioned; it simply was. But now, that the question was out there, she pondered his words for only a few seconds before she answered him truthfully. "Because I love what I find on the ice," Dani answered quietly.

"And what's that?"

"Joy, peace, freedom." For just a moment she was silent, and then she whispered, "Magic!"

Bob smiled. "You're filled with magic, Danielle Rocmanov. Show the world the magic and beauty inside of you. Show them the simple joy you find on the ice, and if they can't see the beauty you want to share, fuck 'em!"

Warmth spread through her at Bob's words and suddenly a clarity and freedom she had lost drifted through her soul and she couldn't stop the wide smile that curved her lips. She would follow his advice; give it her all, and if nothing came of it, she would know in her heart she'd done her best and beyond that, everything else was out of her control. And as Bob had so succinctly put it, 'Fuck the rest of it!' "You're a wise man, for a hockey slug," Dani offered warmly.

"I have my moments," he countered, yawning widely.

"Yes you do, and I owe you for this one," Dani said.

"I'll take my payment in watching you skate tomorrow, or I should say, later today."

"You do that!" she agreed with a smile.

"I will," he concurred and added, "And I expect to see something great out of you!"

"I'll do my best."

"Good. And look for our signs; we'll be the large group with the tacky signs yelling at the top of our lungs!"

"Hockey slugs at a figure skating competition? The world's gone mad!" Dani laughed.

"Yeah, well, shit happens."

"I'll be honored to have you guys there."

"You remember you said that when all the papers credit your win to our being there. We're lucky! You know?"

"I know I'll be lucky to have you there pulling for me!"

"Just leave us a little luck so we can come home with our own medal, okay?" Bob suggested.

"It's a deal," Dani agreed.

"Good. Then on that note, I suggest you get some sleep. You don't want us hockey slugs looking better than you tomorrow."

"Heaven forbid!" Dani gasped dramatically, and laughed light-heartedly.

"Sleep well, Princess. The ice is yours tomorrow and you're going to look fuckin' great in gold!" Bob stated with finality.

  "Thanks for everything, Bob. You're an angel!" Dani offered, ignoring his groan of dismay at her gentle title. "Sleep well yourself and keep an eye on Matt for me please."

"All the time," he agreed easily and with a final good night, hung up the phone.

Snuggling into her pillows, Dani sighed in contentment, knowing her course was set and she was ready for whatever came. She was going to skate for herself, and those she loved, and show the world what skating was meant to be: a celebration of beauty, and grace and freedom and joy!

The world was about to meet a new Danielle Rocmanov. And she couldn't wait to be introduced!

Chapter 29

The air practically vibrated with electricity as the final group of ladies singles skaters began to arrive at the rink and disappeared behind the closed doors of their dressing rooms.

"Arriving now, is Dani Rocmanov, flanked by her family's long-time coach and choreographer, Frank Whittaker and Dee Carlen," a newscaster announced, the video camera capturing their images as they passed through security and followed them into the section near the dressing rooms.

"The question still hasn't been officially answered as to Dani's ability to skate tonight, and as you can see, she is walking with a definite limp," one announcer commented.

"That's right. There has been nothing from the Rocmanov camp alluding to either Dani's injury or possible withdrawal from Olympic competition. But with less than an hour until the final group of ladies skaters take to the ice for warm-up, it won't be long before we get an answer to the question that's on everyone's mind. Will Danielle Rocmanov skate for Gold tonight?"

* * * * *

Dee zipped up the back of Dani's black and white costume, and smoothed an imaginary wrinkle off her shoulders. "Take it slow until you have a real idea if your leg's going to hold up," she stated calmly, surprised to hear her voice sound so casual when inside she was seriously contemplating falling apart.

"That's the plan," Dani countered, just as calmly, looking at herself in the mirror and smiling at Dee. She felt calm; focused, excited about stepping on to that sheet of glorious ice and feeling the wind in her hair.

Dee's eyes met Dani's in the mirror and she started as she saw the calmness in the younger woman's eyes. There was no sign of nervousness, or apprehension, not a hint of fear of the unknown. She was going to step before the world, uncertain if her body would be there for her, and she was smiling like a joyous fool. "Okay, what's up?"

"What do you mean?" Dani asked, a serene, mysterious look making her deep green eyes glow.

"You're too calm," Dee complained.

"I'm ready," Dani countered.

"Something's not right," Dee argued.

"You're wrong; everything is perfect," Dani disagreed, turning and taking Dee's hands and squeezing them encouragingly.

"You're scaring me, Dani."

"Don't be afraid; I'm not."

"How can you say that? You don't know what's going to happen tonight."

Dani shrugged her beautiful shoulders and smiled a dazzling smile. "You're wrong; I know exactly what's going to happen tonight. I'm going to skate for the simple love and joy of doing it and if I happen to pick up a medal in the process, well good for me!" She stated quietly.

Dee looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"A dear friend reminded me why I took up skating all those years ago. Tonight I'm going to remind everyone. I'm skating to music picked out by a child who is living with a disease that is slowly killing her, yet lives each day more fully than anyone I have every known. I have a family who loves me unconditionally and has supported me in everything and more than that, puts up with me when I should be shot instead. I have coaches who have given me such opportunities and knowledge, without them I would not be where I am today, and I don't intend to disappoint them. And through God knows what stroke of luck, I find myself loved by a man in such a way it makes me breathless and complete in a way I never knew I was missing. I skate for you all. But most of all, I skate because I want to! Tonight's not about medals, it's about being alive and loved and needed."

Dee didn't know what to say, and even if she had, she wouldn't have been able to speak over the lump of emotion that filled her throat. With tear-filled eyes, she kissed both Dani's cheeks and smiled a watery smile.

"Please be advised, warm-up for the final group of ladies singles skaters will commence in ten minutes. Again, ten minutes until the final warm-up period for the final group of ladies singles skaters." The announcement came over the loudspeaker.

Dee cleared her throat and sent Dani an encouraging look. "Ready?"

"I've been waiting for this moment all my life!" Dani replied, a warm wave of excitement washing over her. She wouldn't have long to wait; she'd drawn the second spot on the ice. Then it was just a matter of time until it was all said and done.

But in the meantime, she wasn't going to let a second of this experience go by, and bending over, and running her fingers over the bandage that covered her injury, she whispered a silent prayer. "Ten minutes; that's all I need."

And then they were headed toward the tunnel that would lead them to the ice.

* * * * *

 The cheers from the crowd as they walked down the long tunnel, and drew ever closer to the ice drowned out the music of the skater on the ice. Judging by the cheering and applause, her program was going well and the audience obviously like it. A loud roar of excitement had Dee and Dani exchanging glances as they moved forward, surrounded by others using the same walkway. Coaches, skaters, trainers, parents, security personnel all vied for room in the narrow tunnel.

"Sounds like who ever's on the ice is having a good skate," Dani stated calmly, listening as once again a roar of approval for the skater echoed loudly through the building.

Dee nodded in agreement, concern clouding her eyes as another cheer went up and the building vibrated. "Let's hope she's not using up all the good karma in the place!"

Dani squeezed her choreographer's hand reassuringly. "Let her have her moment; she's earned it," Dani suggested, smiling as they met up with Whittaker at the curtain that granted the skaters privacy before they stepped into the view of the audience and the cameras capturing every image.

"The Ukrainian just had one hell of a skate," Whittaker growled, bending over and giving both Dani, and then Dee, a kiss on their cheek.

"How good?" Dee asked.

"She's in position for a Silver medal," he answered solemnly. "Maybe Gold if everyone in this group totally fucks up."

"What are the chances of that happening?" Dee asked with a snort.

Whittaker simply shrugged. "This is the Olympics; something strange always happens here. As history has proven, it's a crap shoot until the dust settles!"

"Then let's not worry about it until all the dust has settled," Dani suggested casually, with an expression so filled with calmness it made both Dee and Whittaker nervous.

Any other conversation was halted as the announcement was made for the final six ladies to take the ice for their six-minute warm-up session.

Dani slipped her blade guards off her skates, and handed them to Whittaker, listening to his calm, reassuring words before sending both coach and choreographer a smile of assurance and stepping onto the ice.

From the announcer's booth, the two commentators, both renowned skaters from years before, watched the last grouping of ladies get a feel for the ice and exchanged statistics and made their forecasts for the outcome of the event.

"The final five ladies have six minutes to prepare themselves to skate the programs of their life. The question is, which of the five is going to have the wherewithal to put aside their nerves and pull out the skate of a lifetime?"

"Excellent question. It's well known that all five of these ladies have the required technicality to win. All of them are marvelous jumpers and over the last ten days we've watched some amazing jump combinations landed in practice. The question now will be finesse and style. Will one stand out above the rest?"

"You're right; there have been some amazing jumps landed. At the same time, there have been jump combinations missed time and time again, and it's time to make that final decision. Do you risk a jump that can either win you, or lose you, the Gold medal?"

"The Olympics is no place for someone unwilling to take a risk. Here is where you put it on the line, for all the world to see. It's the place where examples of courage abound. One supreme example being Danielle Rocmanov."

The camera followed Dani as she calmly, and seemingly casually, stroked her way around the ice. "On the ice for the first time since injuring her leg yesterday in a practice session, Dani is skating with a cut on her left calf that is basically being held together with surgical glue, taped butterflies and tightly wrapped in an ace bandage. As you can see, she's skating a bit tentatively and hasn't even attempted any jumps during this brief warm-up period."

"It's got to be frustrating for her. Her short program didn't go as well as she'd hoped and she found herself sitting in second, behind Russia's Elena Petrova. The first half of last year saw the two swapping first and second place slots in almost every competition they both entered, until Dani decided she liked first place best and beat Elena in every competition the second half of the season. Now, to see her rival sitting in front of her, and know she's skating injured has got to be frustrating. It's one thing to lose to your rival when you're skating your best, it's something else to lose to them when extenuating circumstances shifted the scales against you!"

"And now to know that Sasha Grishuk, of the Ukraine, pulled out an unbelievable program, and is actually in medal contention, it leaves Dani with one more skater to contend with. This is shaping up to be one ladies singles Olympic competition to be remembered for a long time.

A loud gasp from the crowd had the announcers returning their attention to the ice and watching as Dani picked herself up off the ice. The announcers cast apprehensive looks at each other.

"Obviously, Dani's injury is causing her difficulty and if this warm up session is any indication of the effect the injury is going to have on her, things don't look good," the announcer stated ominously.

"It's sad to think that America's Golden Princess won't have her chance to shine at this competition. But then, there is so much pressure on the young woman. Her parent's, Olympic and World champions, will be on this same ice in two days, skating in the Gala and retiring from the ice, after two amazing decades of skating, her brother, Sergei Rocmanov and his partner and finance, Chloe Spenser, won Olympic Gold in the pairs field. That's a lot to compete with when you're healthy, let alone when you're injured!"

"You're right, but I don't think it's over yet. I've seen Dani skate under unbelievable pressure and this is one young woman who doesn't just roll over and cry uncle!" Another gasp went through the crowd and the cameras found Dani once again getting to her feet and brushing ice off her bottom from her fall.

"This doesn't look good. She's obviously having trouble landing even the simplest of jumps and she looks to be in pain. At this point, is it even worth risking competing?"

"That will be for Dani and her coach to decide. But you're right; this doesn't look good at all," the commentator announced in a voice filled with concern and sorrow.

At that moment, the announcement was made the warm-up session was over and for all to leave the ice.

Meanwhile, up in the stands, the entire U.S. Olympic Hockey team made their way, as unobtrusively as possible, to their seats. Joining the rest of the Rocmanovs, and Emily and her mother, they watched as the ladies left the ice. Bob slid into the seat behind Emily and leaned over and kissed her on the top of her head.

"How's it going Princess? How'd Dani look?" he asked happily, having missed Dani's two falls.

"Terrible. Dani falled two times," Emily stated in frustration, holding up two tiny fingers for emphasis.

Bob grimaced at Emily's downtrodden face. "She'll do better during her program."

"I know," Emily countered knowingly.

"How do you know?" Bob asked, tussling her blonde curls.

"Cause she smiled at me when she left the ice."

A small frown of confusion formed between Bob's eyes. "She fell twice but she was smiling when she left the ice?"

"Yup!" Emily agreed happily, her head bobbing up and down.

"Don't try to figure it out," Aleksei suggested over his shoulder to Bob. "They have a secret code that's impossible to break!" he laughed.

"Okay," he agreed readily, more than happy he didn't have to try to figure things out.

"Where's Matt?" Emily asked, looking around for him.

"Down with Dani. Dee wanted him with her before she takes the ice; thought he might calm her down a bit," Bob explained.

"She's calm enough; she needs a little fire at this point!" Sergei stated, ignoring the pointed look both Chloe and his mother fired at him.

"She'll be fine," Emily stated firmly, knowingly, and folded her hands and waited patiently as the first skater took the ice.

"Here we go," Aleksei murmured to Jordan, sliding his hand into hers and silently praying for a miracle.

The first skater took to the ice, and seconds later, the beginning strains of her music began.

Dani had four minutes to come up with a miracle.

"Get the ace bandage off my leg; I can't skate with it on!" Dani demanded, bending over and unlacing her left boot. In seconds her foot was free and she was pulling her legging up to her knee and unwrapping the ace bandage.

"You need the support," Whittaker argued, looking to Dee for affirmation.

"I need to be able to feel my damn leg!" Dani argued, tossing the elastic bandage to Dee. "I'll just go with a strip of strip of first aid tape," she stated, looking at her coach and choreographer expectantly.

"Dani, I don't know if this is such a good idea," Dee said hesitantly. "Maybe you're not meant to skate tonight."

Dani sent her a look of disbelief. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that and simply chalk it up to a stupid comment made in a moment of lunacy. Now, are you going to give me a piece of tape or do I have to run back to the medic's station and get one myself? Time's short so I need an answer right now!"

"Dani?" Whittaker began, only to find himself interrupted as Matt finally made it through security and dashed through the curtains.

"Sorry I'm late Darlin', security's extra tight tonight!" he stated casually with a smile, kissing her warmly on the cheek. A quick look had him lifting one eyebrow and taking in the fact she was standing with one skate off and her stocking up around her knee. "Aren't you skating in about two minutes?" he asked calmly.

"I need a friggin' piece of tape. I can't skate with the ace bandage on and I suddenly seem to have a mutiny on my hands. Suddenly my courageous team has turned cowardly," she growled, sending Whittaker and Dee looks of disgust.

Pulling a roll of white tape out of his coat pocket, he held it up for her inspection. "What do you think? Will this do?" he asked, smiling as her eyes lit up with joy and she nodded, reaching for it. "No, let me put it on for you," he offered, looking at the nasty, red gash and bruised flesh of her calf that was exposed between the butterfly stitches. "I don't want to have to try to get this on straight a second time. As it is, it's going to hurt like a son-of-a-bitch when you take it off!" he stated knowingly, carefully pressing the inch wide white tape across the injury on her calf and pressing it as gently, but firmly, as he could against her skin.

Dani gritted her teeth against the pain, but held steady, focusing her attention on the action on the ice. "Clock's ticking Tanner; you about done?"

Carefully he pulled her stocking back down her leg, bent over and kissed her calf gently. "Get your skate on, Darlin'. I've done all I can do for you," he said, looking up at her from his knees.

With practiced efficiency, she slipped her foot into her boot, banged her heel into place and then bent over to re-lace her skate.

"Let me get that," Whittaker offered, kneeling with a creak of his bones and a grunt, but quickly and efficiently whipped the laces into place and tied them off in a neat bow before tucking them inside the tongue of her boot. "How's that?" he asked expectantly, sending her a look she hadn't seen in years; one filled with concern and excitement and apology.

Dani wiggled her ankle, and tried to ignore the pain in her calf. "Perfect!"

"Good, then help me get the hell off this floor!" He grumbled, and allowed Matt to help him back to his feet.

As a foursome, they watched as the Russian skater prepared for her last spin combination and bobbled it, catching her toe-pick and nearly falling, before she managed to save it, albeit not without losing some points.

"Keep your head, Dani, all the way to the end. It's easy to think you made it through clean and then suddenly you're on your ass looking up at the lights," Whittaker stated gruffly.

"Will do," Dani murmured quietly, watching as the skater slid into her final position and held it for a few seconds before beginning her bows.

Matt stepped before her, blocking her view of the ice, and gently took her face in his hands. Blue-gray and forest green eyes met and held. "It's not about winning or losing, Darlin', but about remembering how much you love being on the ice. Forget about the judges and the people screaming and the other skaters and just skate for the simple joy you feel in doing it. Now's your chance to show me that you really can skate!" he laughed lightly, and lowered his head, sharing a gentle, searching kiss.

"Prepare to have your socks knocked off, Tanner. This program is going to blow you away!" she promised sincerely, an excited light shining in her eyes.

"You're up, Dani," Whittaker stated quietly.

With a final determined smile for them all, and a saucy wink for Matt, Dani stepped onto the ice and as the announcer called her name, skated to center ice and took her beginning position.

  Standing on her right leg, with her left leg stretched behind her, she held both her arms into the air, her wrists bent, her hands in a beautifully relaxed position. Her head was lifted and tilted to the right, her eyes searching the crowd and finding her parents and Emily. Behind them, the Olympic Hockey team, with a long banner printed in black and white, said 'Dani R - Bring it Home!', and a wide smile curved her lips.

"Dani is skating to Bond's Winter, and has a technically packed program planned, but it remains to be seen, whether or not she'll be able to pull any of it off or not. A wonderful piece of music that has been skated to by several great skaters, most memorably perhaps by Alexei Yagudin, it's filled with emotion and power and will hopefully inspire her. Although from the looks of it, she's obviously already planning on giving it her all," one of the commentators stated, giving his associate a dubious look.

"She, of course, has the option of easing up on the program, changing triples into doubles or singles. Doing so will take her out of medal contention but at least she will be able to say she competed in the Olympics."

"At the same time, she comes from a family that has always been all-out or not-at-all and with the house packed, it looks to me as if she's planning to go all-out!"

"That it does, and now, let's see how Danielle Rocmanov, from the United States, fares," the announcer stated and silently watched as the music began and the sound of rushing wind filled the arena.

Dani listened to the opening strains of music and felt a calmness fill her soul as if the music blew through her like the wind. With a deep breath she took her first move. Pushing off with her right leg, she placed her weight on her injured leg, sliding backward as her right leg lifted into a high arabesque position that she then stopped as she bent her left knee and came up onto her toe pick. Pain screamed in her left calf but she pushed it away, listening to the music and losing herself in the program. Her right leg came down and she spun in a tight counter clockwise circle, her back arched, her black chiffon skirt lifting in the light breeze she made, one arm reaching for the sky as the other reached for the ice.

With precision and calmness, she went through her opening moves, pushing aside the pain in her leg, concentrating on making each move perfect, from the tips of her long fingers to the end of her pointed toes. She found herself lost in the music, simply another instrument portraying Winter, and she felt herself become one with the ice.

The tempo changed and she found herself sliding into her first layback spin combination. The lights and crowd became nothing but a blur as she changed her position four different times and then easily shifted into front crossovers and began to pick up speed for her first jump, a triple-triple combination.

"This is it," Aleksei murmured from the stands, his ebony eyes on his daughter, his heart pounding, his breath locked in his lungs.

"Here's where we'll see if her leg is going to hold on her jumps," the announcer stated and suddenly seemed to hold his breath too.

With a quick turn, Dani was lifting into the air, her leg coming around, her body tight as she fought to complete her jump, a triple Salchow/triple Loop. Her first jump she completed clean but she two-footed the landing on the triple loop, and mentally ticked off a small deduction. Still, she was on her feet and speeding down the ice, the music driving her on, adrenaline surging through her body.

The crowd roared it's approval and she found herself feeding off the energy that filled the building. Any residual pain that might have been in her leg disappeared beneath the adrenaline and suddenly she felt as if she could fly. Her blood pounded in her veins and the music filled her soul. She was as free and powerful as the music that surrounded her. She flew across the ice, her blades barely a whisper as she sped across the gleaming surface.

From one end of the rink to the other, her feet danced through an intricate step sequence, her movements so precise that one little slip would have seen her falling to the ice. But that didn't happen and the audience exploded, coming to their feet, their applause and cheering rocking the building.

As the music shifted again, she completed her spiral sequence; silently gliding across the ice in an impossibly high arabesque position before she three-turned and performed a Charlotte spiral in reverse, her arms spread wide, her legs rock steady.

The announcers were speechless.

The crowd made up for it and Dani found herself barely able to hear the music, even though it filled her heart and her soul.

She pushed her way through another two jumps, both with shaky landings, but still clean, grimacing at the landing on the second one, as pain pushed its way to the front of her mind and fire seemed to scream through her body. Refusing to give in, or give up, she reached deep within herself, and pushed the pain back. She was two-thirds of the way through her program; she would complete it or die trying!

The music granted her a momentary rest and she took advantage of it as she performed her spin combination, her spins perfectly centered, the little tracings in the ice she made holding steady and sure.

Matt watched from the wall beside Whittaker and Dee, his eyes never leaving her, and as he watched her lower herself into her sit-spin, his heart stopped. "Christ!"

Whittaker had seen it too. "The tape's not holding," he murmured worriedly.

"Oh, God," Dee whispered helplessly.

Dani lifted up out of her sit-spin, reached for her left ankle and lifted it into the air into a perfect split position, pulling her leg next to her chest. In surprise, she saw the stream of blood seeping from beneath the tape and slowly creeping down her leg through her leggings.

"One minute!" she whispered, lowering her leg and finishing the move with a modified spread eagle.

In the flash of an instant, she looked to the wall. Her eyes met Matt's. Electricity flashed between them, and she felt him willing his energy to her, saw his sexy smile and the defiant lift of his chin as he clenched his jaw and silently urged her on.

She also saw the abrupt shake of Whittaker's head, and Dee's worried look. But it was her choice. This was her moment and she'd go to hell before she'd spend her life wondering if she should have done what she was about to do!

The music began to build, the heavy bass beat matching Dani's stride as she flew across the ice, deepening the bend of her knees, her back crossovers digging deeply into the ice as she set up for her final jump, a triple axel.

"She's going to do it!" Jordan whispered anxiously.

"She's going to do it!" Emily stated determinedly, her small body practically vibrating with excitement on Aleksei's lap.

"Bring it home, Dani!" the entire hockey team shouted into the cool air.

"You can do it, Darlin'," Matt whispered into the air, his muscles clenching as if he was right there beside her.

"She's going to go for it! This is unbelievable!" the announcers shouted over the thundering crowd, leaning forward, as if seeking to get as close to the excitement as they could.

Dani sailed around the far end of the rink, sank deeper into her knees and coaxed every ounce of power she could out of her tired, hurting muscles as she focused on the ice in front of her and stepped up into her jump. Her arms lifted into the air and then came in tight against her body, her head snapping around as she spotted her turn and she flew through the air, suspended by the encouraging power of all in the building. Once, twice, three times she turned in the air, her world a blur of color and light, but no sound. Suddenly she was back on the ice, her landing holding securely. The crowd exploded into cheers and applause; their stomping feet rocking the arena upon her successful landing and she struggled to hear the remaining bars of her music over the noise as she ended her program with a final layback spin and then slid into her closing stance, a simple variation of her opening position.

The crowd went crazy! Dani flinching as sound seemed to suddenly re-register with her mind and she found herself shaking her head in amazement as she realized their reaction was for her. In a state of semi-shock, she took her bows, astounded at the continuing cheering and the flowers and small trinkets that sailed onto the ice for her.

Scooping up a handful of flowers and a small stuffed bear, she slowly made her way off the ice, tears filling her eyes as she found her family in the stands, on their feet and cheering wildly. A bright laugh escaped her and was swallowed by the noise as she spotted the banner the hockey team was holding and she sent the group a thumbs up.

On a wave of exhilaration, Dani memorized the moment: the noise, the cheering crowd, the mementos raining down on the ice. And Matt, waiting for her at the wall, his smile so wide she was sure it had to hurt and his eyes, so filled with love, she wanted to cry with joy. Whittaker couldn't decide whether to cheer or yell at her, and Dee's welcoming smile and heavy sigh said it all. It was a time no one would ever forget!

Matt scooped her into his arms as soon as she stepped off the ice, spreading kisses over her face, and hugged her tightly. "I can't believe you did that!"

Dani laughed. "What? Tried the jump or actually landed it?"

"Both. Either." He countered with an amazed shake of his head. "How's the leg?"

"Numb at the moment, but I'm sure when the adrenaline wears off it's going to burn like a son-of-a-bitch!"

"Dani, there are cameras all around and people read lips!" Whittaker warned her, pulling her into his arms for another hug and whispering into her ear, "You're as crazy as your father was!"

"I'll take that as a compliment!" she agreed, and kissed him on his cheek.

Whittaker just growled, and nodded toward the kiss and cry area. "We're supposed to be waiting for your scores."

"They don't matter," Dani murmured, but followed Dee anyway and took a seat, pulling Matt onto the bench beside her and slipping his hand into hers. Whittaker took a seat beside Matt and shook his head in disbelief. He hadn't been sure if he was going to survive the day before she took the ice. It was really up for grabs now!

Dee accepted a towel from another coach, graciously thanked them and wrapped it around Dani's calf. They didn't need to be dripping blood all over the kiss and cry area.

"I can't believe what we just witnessed on that ice!" one of the announcers stated honestly. "That had to be one of the most amazing acts of courage and perseverance I have ever seen!"

"She didn't give up, not for a second, and now we'll see if the judges saw what the crowd obviously saw. A program worthy of a Gold medal as far as I'm concerned," the other announcer stated.

The scores came up, and with the exception of two of the Eastern block judges, they all agreed. Danielle Rocmanov was sitting in the Gold position.

But it wasn't over yet. There were still three more ladies to skate, and more than enough room for them to take home the Gold.

They could only wait.

* * * * *

If medical advances found a way to allow people to live to be one thousand years old, Dani pondered the possibility of ever finding another experience to beat this one. In honor, awe and amazement, she stood on the top step of the podium, a Gold Olympic medal hanging over her heart, and watched as the flag of the United Stated lifted into the air and the Star Spangled Banner echoed in the cool air.

Thirty minutes later, after posing for the last picture, and giving a last quote to the press, she skated to the far end of the rink and joined her family and Emily. She wasn't sure if she could keep all the tumultuous emotions that filled her body in check much longer, so she took a deep, calming breath and closed her eyes to gather herself. With a dazzling smile, and sparkling eyes, she slipped her medal off, and carefully draped it over Emily's small head. "I believe this belongs to you," Dani stated gently, kissing first one, then the other of Emily's cheeks.

Emily reverently lifted the medal and looked at it. "It's heavy!" she stated with a little laugh, her sky-blue eyes wide and filled with wonder.

"That's so you don't ever forget all the hard work you did to get it! It's kind of like having a medal of courage and perseverance; something that shows you never gave up on your dream," Dani explained.

"But you did all the hard work. It's not right that you should just give me your Gold medal," Emily stated, and began to lift the medal from around her neck.

Dani stopped her. "I made a promise to you and I never break a promise. You're an important part of why I'm here; why I'm even able to give you this medal. I didn't do it all by myself; it was a group effort," she stated firmly, looking at all the members of her family, at Whittaker and Dee and Matt as they joined the group. Dani returned her attention to Emily. "But it was you who made me stop and think about my life; about what I really wanted it to be about."

"Me?" Emily asked in a tiny, awed voice.

"Yes, you," Dani nodded in acknowledgment. "You showed me what strength and courage was. You made me realize how very fortunate my life was, and that I had turned into a spoiled brat because I expected things to always go my way. You see, I was starting to believe my own press," Dani stated flatly, with a somewhat chagrined look for her mother. "I'm sure that was one of the reasons Mama requested my assistance helping with the KIDS with AIDS skating program."

"Your Mama made you do something you didn't really want to do?" Emily asked in amazement. There were times she had do things, like brush her teeth, or pick up her toys when she didn't want to. But Dani was grown-up. Surely she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to do!

Dani pondered Emily's question for a few seconds, and remembered the feelings that had bombarded her at her mother's request. Looking back it was so easy to see why she had been reticent to comply. "It wasn't that I didn't want to do it; it was more like I was uncertain if I could do it. There were a lot of things I didn't understand about your disease; a lot of things I believed to be true that I found out were not true. Like the fact I can hug you or give you a kiss anytime I like!" she explained, and proceeded to do both. "But more than that, you made me see life as it truly is: sometimes harsh, sometimes unfair, and sometimes heartbreaking, but also filled with millions of sparkling moments that are astounding and so wonderful you can barely breathe," she concluded emotionally.

"I did?" Emily asked breathlessly.

Dani nodded, tears filling her emerald eyes. "You have given me the greatest gifts in the world: that of trust and honesty and unquestioning, all-encompassing love. And I will remember the gifts you have shared with me; all you have taught me, and I promise you, I will continue to pass these same gifts on to others. And they will pass it on to others, and others will pass it on to others, hopefully forever, and it will all happen because of you!"

"Really?" Emily couldn't believe her ears. Surely a child couldn't make such things happen in a world where adults only believed what they could see, or touch or smell. But Dani was an adult and she was saying it was possible. Maybe a little part of her would live forever!

"Really!" Dani nodded again. "Your incredible courage and kindness and the love you share with everyone has brought you to this moment; and the medal you're wearing around your neck simply validates what an amazing person you are. You deserve that Gold medal much more than I do, and anyone who doesn't believe that can talk to me. I'll be sure to set them straight!"

Emily could only murmur, "Wow!" as she looked up into Dani's determined face and knew she spoke from her heart. Holding up the medal, she added, "Thank you. I'll take good care of it and then I'll put it in Mama's memory box. I'm sure Mama will let you look at it anytime you want to," she offered, sending her mother a knowing look and a little smile.

"Of course," Mrs. DuBois agreed with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Dani understood completely and nodded in silent acceptance.

"Well, since all this is settled, suppose we go find us something gooey and chocolate and celebrate in style?" Aleksei suggested. It was time to put away sad and serious matters for a little while and simply celebrate life.

A cheer of agreement sounded in the small crowd and the decision was made where everyone would meet, after Dani had her leg checked one more time and a final bandage reapplied before she dressed in her street clothes.

"I'll wait for Dani and we'll meet you all in the hotel suite," Matt offered, sending her a mysterious look that had her cheeks coloring rosily.

Sergei noticed his sister's reaction and scowled.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Aleksei agreed, and with a final kiss to his daughter's cheek, he began the process of gathering the small crowd and trying to get them moving forward and out of the arena.

Sergei waited until everyone had passed him by before he moved forward and came to a stop beside Matt. "I'm giving you twenty minutes to get her to the suite. After that, I'm coming looking for you," he murmured dangerously.

Matt simply met his steely gaze and nodded in agreement. "Understood."

Dani watched from the ice, a quizzical look on her face, and skated back to meet him at the wall. "What was that all about?"

Matt's broad shoulders lifted in a little shrug. "Just words of advice from a concerned brother."

"Don't tell me he threatened you?" Dani asked in disbelief.

"I suppose it's a matter of interpretation."

Dani huffed a sigh. "What did he say?"

 "He told me if I didn't have you back at the suite in twenty minutes he was going to come looking for me."

"That sounds like a threat to me."

"Maybe. I choose to look at it as I've only got twenty minutes to ravish you senseless," he murmured huskily, his eyes gleamin