Alias- Forever And Always

54) Olympic Vibes

AN: Music for this chapter (on repeat): Numb by Portishead, Breathe Me (Mylo Remix) by Sia, Inferno by Michael Giacchino, PM's Love Theme by Craig Armstrong, Olympic Fanfare and Theme by John Williams, O Fortuna by Russian Red Army Choir, Myth, Power, Beauty by Nick Glennie-Smith from Secretariart Soundtrack

FIFTY-FOUR

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Upon their return to Russia, Nadia threw herself completely into training for the Olympics and when she wasn't in class she was at the gym, spending as little time as possible at home. She'd isolated herself, and found her purpose and drive in finding 'perfection' in the one thing she could do right, gymnastics.

Again and again she'd do something over and over until she had it nailed, getting angry at times when her coach, Nadia, would call it quits at after midnight seeing Nadia's burning determination and obsession with perfection grow to unhealthy levels, greatly concerned and worried for her physical health as well as mental seeing the emotional storm lurking in her big brown eyes and having no idea where it came from. She tried to get her to talk to her and Nadia would only respond with, "I'm fine. I'm just determined to get this right and seek perfection."

When Nadia, her coach replied with, "No one is perfect. Perfection is ideal most often unattainable." Because of her great concern for Nadia, seeing her beautiful flawless performance in the gym again and again and was 'still' not good enough in the young woman's eyes; Nadia narrowed her brows slightly looking at her coach with a slight tilt in her head finding it odd to hear such a thing coming from the world's greatest gymnast.

"But you did. You were the perfect gymnast, obtaining perfect marks."

Her coach sighed with a heavy heart, "Everyone's version of 'perfect' is different. You're already better then I ever was. I was still perfect in my performance, yes. But your performance is even 'more' perfect…d o you understand what I'm trying to say? That there will always be someone else out there whose version of 'perfect' is better or different then your own?"

Nadia then of course responded with, "Well, then I'm going to be the most perfect form of perfection I can be in my own definition."

The famous Romanian gymnast cupped her face and stare deeply into her eyes for a long moment, finally asking, "Are you even having fun anymore?"

"It's the only thing I do now, that is fun." Her answer was both a relief and concern for her coaches, happy to hear she was having fun and concerned that she'd said 'only' thing she did that was fun now.

They finally compromised and set an iron clad schedule of hours that began in the gym at 4 AM in the morning until 7 AM and then Nadia would go to school, get out at 2 PM, take an hour to eat and rest and then start the late practice at 3PM that went no later then 9 PM, not a minute over until she was finished with school and graduated.

Once that happened and her days were open, they couldn't get the girl out of the gym. Where Irina had thrown herself into running going through the same thing, Nadia's outlet was gymnastics. Her trainings ethics very much reminded Irina of those implemented on the Soviet athletes who were made to become machines with the sport they were in their only purpose in life and it scared her, to see that drive in her daughter that she apparently inherited from her mother.