Disclaimer: I own nothing, just arrange the words.

Author's note: Hey. I doubt anyone will see this or even care since it's been 10 years. 10 YEARS! If you're clicking on this story for the first time, welcome! If you got a stream of strange e-mail alerts out of the blue long after your interest in a silly ABC Family show about catty gymnasts faded, sorry about that, but welcome back!

Rewind to November 2019 when the writer formerly known as Romance Novel pointed out that this year marks 10 years since we became friends through the MIOBI fandom, which naturally prompted a re-watch. Watching the show through older eyes, I laughed and cringed and cursed the high level of potential and questionable execution/choices. I cringed even harder when I reread this story. So I set out to finally write the ending just for the sake of finishing what I started. With some tweaking here and there, this story reads more like a reaction/companion to season one, perhaps a canon divergence that begs the question: what if Nicky didn't leave the Rock on Valentine's Day?

Watching MIOBI, writing fic and talking to other fans about it was a fun time in my life. Okay, that's all. Hope you enjoy it!

The Difference Between

Chapter One

She remembers the first day she thought she was in love with Nicky Russo with an embarrassing level of clarity.

It was his first day at the Rock. Nicky Russo, the intriguing, mysterious new guy. He wasn't exactly tall, but most prototype male gymnasts aren't. A little stocky and a little pale, but cute. He didn't say much, didn't even smile or make any attempt to get to know anyone. He made it clear that he wasn't here to make friends or join their gymnastics family. Still, Kaylie caught herself stealing little glances in his direction all throughout the day. Not that it really meant anything. All the other girls did the same.

Kaylie remember the day she fell out of love with Nicky Russo just as easily. The very next day Nicky proved to be the boy version of Payson. Any and all possibility of them ever having a relationship or even a conversation flatlined when she gave him a friendly smile and he ignored her. He was the first person to ever snub Kaylie Cruz, the Rock's resident Miss Congeniality.

They were strangers for a long time after that. Kaylie found her place in her fish bowl that Mr. Tanner and her dad practically built from the ground up and filled with talented, shiny specimen. She learned to swim alongside Carter and her friends and fellow gymnastics. Nicky Russo's fishbowl was significantly smaller—just him and gymnastics. He kept to himself, chose isolation, and called it focus.

Though Kaylie had other things occupying her time, Nicky's presence was never lost on her. She couldn't help but noticed him sitting alone at lunch day after day with his earphones in, listening to music and visualizing his routines the same way Payson would. From time-to-time, she'd even stop to wonder if he ever regretted not making friends, but never once did she even go out of her way to smile at him again.

It wasn't until the few days before Nationals that Kaylie started paying a little more attention to how Nicky would go out of his way to talk to Payson. It's good her tiny crush-at-first-sight never grew. It's laughable to think that even for a split second she ever had a little girl daydream that maybe this new guy would be her knight in shining singlet when clearly reality looks more like:

Android Russo + Payson Keeler = Happy Gold Medalist Bloodline

Android Russo + Kaylie Cruz = ERROR

To this day, Nicky treats Payson like she's the only person in the room, proving he might actually be capable of human emotions. Of everyone, Payson deserves exactly that kind of attention and worship from a cute boy. She even responds with her own specific brand of enthusiasm. It's puppy love in its purest form, an epic kind of love in the making.

And it may be selfish, but Kaylie's a little thrilled that in due time Carter and her won't be the only ones sneaking around the Rock's infamous no-dating rule. Not even Olympic hopes can kill young, forbidden love.

Then tragedy strikes for all of them in different ways.

Kaylie comes out of the storm with the prestigious title of National Champion, but a broken heart thanks to her cheating bastard of an ex-boyfriend and her lying skank of a best friend. It's a betrayal that drains the color from her world.

Payson comes out of the storm with no title, no medals at all, and an injury that takes her out of gymnastics, out of their exclusive little fish bowl of a world. Payson has her dream ripped away from her in the most violent way, but not even tragedy could change the way Nicky looks at her like she's still the only person in the room he cares to look at, like she's still a champion.

Even if Carter still looks at her in a way that once gave her butterflies, intense with devotion, Kaylie knows she can't want that anymore. It's tainted and it will be from now on. He has no one to blame, but himself.

When they'd talk about life after gymnastics, Kaylie fantasized most about sponsorship deals, parades, eating whatever she wants, and not having to hide her relationship with her boyfriend. Now that she has achieved one of the highest forms of success in her sport, Kaylie still can't eat whatever she wants, but she does have MJ lining up deals left and right and gets to show off her medal in a parade on a day named after her. It's all…overwhelming.

It doesn't feel how she thought it would, how it's supposed to. She can't enjoy any of it with the nagging voice in the back of her head questioning if she deserves it, if it should have been Payson instead. Payson's rage, jealousy, and bitterness confirms her suspicious, but always being the bigger person, their forever leader, injured or not, Payson set her straight.

"Don't apologize for winning. You are the National Champion. Don't apologize for that."

Kaylie internalizes those words, repeats them to herself every night before bed and every morning. She uses Payson's faith in her, her belief in herself as fuel to make it through the day with photoshoots and interviews and other publicity obligations on top of training. In what can only be a cruel twist of fate, Nicky Russo doesn't make that easy on her.

It's all MJ's fault. Kaylie knew it wouldn't end well from the moment her agent announced their public pairing. Nicky can't seem to comprehend that he asked for this when he signed with an agency and just makes life more difficult on himself and her by arguing and grumbling. To make things worse, it feels like he goes out of his way to make Kaylie feel small, undeserving, and like utter crap. Seriously, where does he get off judging her? She finally has enough when they're preparing for Sasha's ridiculous open house duet, whatever that even means, and all the emotion she'd been trying to contain and silence come bursting out.

"Ugh! Jeez!" Kaylie shouts after bumping into him for what feels like the eleventh time since they started. "You're not the only one on the mat! Or in the universe, for that matter! Not that you would know it!"

"What exactly is your problem with me?" Nicky steps closer, frustrated, aggressive, but she won't let him intimidate her. She isn't about to back down, not with the stress, anger, and infamously hot Cruz blood coursing through her.

"My problem?" Kaylie fires right back. "You're the one who keeps treating me like their bratty little sister you can't stand to be around!"

"Well, you are a little bratty."

"And you're a bully."

He shuts up and shifts his weight at that word. Did she just pierce Nicky Russo's impenetrable armor? Good.

"Look," Kaylie continues, "I know that you wish I was Payson, and I'm not good enough to be the National Champion. And you're the only one who had any competition and blah, blah, blah. Well, I'm sick of it. I don't have to apologize to you or to anyone else. I beat all the best gymnasts in the country, and what makes everyone else think that I wouldn't have beaten Payson, too?"

She turns her back on him, desperately fighting off the threat of tears.

"You're right," Nicky says after a lengthy pause. "Maybe you would have beaten Payson. You've got the skill."

She blinks and turns back around to face him. "What?" He's looking right at her, not through her like his first day at the Rock and most days since. His eyes are somehow softer yet still so intense. "Oh. Now you're being nice to me because you finally made me cry."

"I wasn't trying to make you cry," he says quickly. "I'm sorry. Okay? It's just that you came out of nowhere and nabbed the gold. I train harder than any guy out there, and I still came in second."

"I've been in the gym six days a week since I was five-years-old. I hardly came out of nowhere!" And just a tad softer, she continues, "And you know, winning the silver medal at Nationals is nothing to be ashamed of."

He turns away and starts to pace.

"Nicky," she says sharply, "you're an amazing gymnast and you'll win it next year."

He stares at the ground before finally meeting her eyes again. "Thanks… And look, I don't wish you were Payson." And in the softest she's ever heard his voice, "Okay? Truce?"

He holds out a hand towards her and she shakes it. Despite the callouses thanks to years and years of hard work, he has a gentle touch. Kaylie smiles, really smiles and it's probably the first smile she's given him since that first day.

From that moment on, they concentrate on their routine and actually learn how to listen and collaborate. It's easier to move and breathe and compromise after clearing the once tense air between them. They understand each other a little better and with that, there's less resentment, irritation, and arguments. Nicky actually takes her input to heart and works her suggestions into their routine.

The night of the open house, as they both run and flip down the length of the floor, it's like they're completely in sync. Kaylie knows where he is at all times and what he's doing without even having to look. She hears giggles from the audience when he transforms into a bull, index fingers for horns, and there's even a rare smile on his face like he might actually be having fun. Kaylie surprises herself when she jumps into his arms and doesn't anticipate a fall.

It can only mean she actually trusts him to catch her. It's startling and a little exhilarating. It's just as startling and exhilarating as the fluttering feeling she gets when they come face-to-face in the middle of the floor, hands pressed together, her eyes locked on his. And she swears for the slightest of seconds his eyes skirt down to her lips.

The crowd roars with what might be the loudest cheers of the night, a standing ovation, but Kaylie can't hear any of it above the sound of her heart hammering in her ears. Their matching smiles are undeniable as they embrace and that hug, it seals their truce and their agreement to be civil towards each other from now on. They don't need to talk about it. It's a wordless agreement. A promise.

It has to be guilt-driven when Nicky offers to help her get more height for the double Arabian Sasha's set on adding to her floor routine.

The catch: she has to wake up earlier than her already early wakeup call.

So Kaylie sets her alarm just like she tells Nicky she will.

It's a surprise to the both of them when she arrives at the Rock first. Part of her is tempted to pull the hood of her jacket down over her eyes and try to steal another five minutes of shut-eye, but the last thing she wants is for Nicky to catch her sleeping in her car. Instead, Kaylie checks her messages on her phone and stares up at the sky. It's still mostly dark out, but bright pink and orange peek out from behind the mountains. The sun kisses the sky good morning as a smatter of stars shine on, as bright as ever.

"Wow. You actually showed."

"Did you call Payson yet?" Kaylie asks right away.

Nicky groans, nervously twisting from side to side like a disgruntled child. That's a no.

"Nicky, seriously…"

"Why do I always have to be the one that calls her?"

"Because you're the boy," Kaylie says it like it's that simple.

"I did call her like a million times after we got back from California and she hasn't called me back. Not once."

Kaylie's beginning to realize Nicky in gymnastics android mode and Nicky outside of the gym are two completely different creatures. Practically day and night. Either it's really funny or she's still sleep-delirious.

"I tried again last night and still, radio silence," he continues. "Either she doesn't want to hear from anyone right now or she just doesn't want to hear from me."

"Of course she wants to hear from you."

"Well, she has a funny way of showing it," Nicky mumbles. She watches as he paves over that slight show of vulnerability with aggressive defensiveness. "And why is it any of your business anyway?"

"Uhhh, because we said we're friends now and that's what friends do for each other."

"So I help you train and what? You help me with Payson?"

"If that's what you want. I mean, it's only fair, right? Friends help friends in need. Then again, you saying it like that definitely makes it weird." Seeing Nicky shove his hands into his pockets and kick at gravel, both nervous habits of his, Kaylie decides to cut him some slack. "Yet for some reason I can't even begin to explain, I don't think you're a totally lost cause."

When he doesn't put up his defenses, but stays quiet and follows her gaze to the sky, the silence is shockingly comfortable. Maybe this can work. She can't say she ever foresaw herself training with Nicky Russo of all people, especially at this hour, but now that she's National Champion, maybe she has no choice, but to evolve, transform, grow.

"Okay, I'll bite," Nicky says. "What are you looking at?"

"Orion's Belt," Kaylie says with confidence. "Partly because it's all I know."

Nicky chuckles. "Orion was a giant huntsman, the most handsome of the earthbound. One night he went out, got drunk, caused all sorts of mayhem and was blinded as punishment. Luckily, he stumbled upon Hephaestus who told his servant to guide Orion east where Helios, the sun god, healed him."

"Wow," Kaylie says. "I'm starting to think you're a secret nerd."

"I prefer intellectual, actually."

Ugh. He would say something like that with that exact level of arrogance.

"Wouldn't it be nice?" Kaylie wonders aloud. "If the sun could actually heal us?"

She thinks about her broken heart and Payson…

"It would." Nicky stretches his back, now basking in the sun that's spilt over the mountaintop. "But we live in the real world and the gym. There's no sun in the gym."

"Seriously? Is that your great intellect at work?"

"All for you, Princess, just like everything else I do," he says in that same infuriating tone from their Seventeen Magazine photoshoot. "Didn't we already go through this? Try to keep up. And quit stalling. The invitational is next month. We have work to do."

They both know he isn't obligated to help her. As long as she's known him, observed him from afar, Nicky Russo has always preferred to train alone. So why now and why her? Is just for gymnastics, just for her help with Payson, or is he actually trying to make a friend for once?

Kaylie is a lot of things, but she isn't brave enough to ask.

"One more thing," Kaylie says. "I just want to thank you for agreeing to help me."

He makes this little amused sound beneath his breath. "Don't thank me yet. We'll see how you feel after what I have planned."

A taste of Nicky's very specific brand of dedication (that's more obsession) isn't her definition of a good time, especially right before an official Sasha Belov practice. What was she thinking when she agreed to this?

Despite barely know each other, Kaylie trusts Nicky to know what he's doing, that maybe he can help her feel more comfortable with her new role and like less of a fraud. As she stretches next to him, Kaylie tries not to wonder if he'd give her the time of day if Payson were here, healthy, and whole. He only ever had eyes for Payson for so long. When Nicky looks at Kaylie, his eyes are sharp and critical, but filled with understanding and she knows that's exactly what she needs right now, not a boyfriend to worship her, but a friend to help her get stronger.