"That sounds oddly blissful. You ready to go home?"



"I promised you joint custody of this trophy and I try never to renege on my promises. Look over there and tell me if the Texas Tarantula's looking confident of victory."



Emily looked over Parker's shoulder and saw the blonde sitting with her eyes closed with a smile on her face. "She looks like you don't even have to play since she has it all sewn up."



"All done, Miss King." The medic tied off five neat stitches and put a pressure bandage to keep them from popping if she chose to play.



"Are you sure about this? I don't want you getting hurt anymore than you already are," said Emily looking at Parker's side.



"Em, those people out there paid to see good tennis, not the acting out of my family problems, so that's what I plan to give them. Or at least I'll deliver a full match. It might not be my usual finesse game."



"Finesse game?" asked Emily almost laughing out loud. "Not that you don't possess finesse in other aspects of your life, honey, but playing tennis wouldn't fall into that arena."



"All right I'm the WWF smash mouth player of women's tennis, sue me."



"I'd much rather," Emily finished the rest of her statement in a whisper into Parker's ear. The dark tan couldn't hide the blush that ran up her face and she shot a glare toward Lee.



"Come on, Darnell, it's time to kick some ass."



"I'm glad you're willing to go along so graciously, sugar, cause that's exactly what I'm planning on doing to ya." When Lee was finished talking it took Kimmie, Gray and Natasha to carry Emily out of the locker room.



************************************************************************



"Well, sports fans, barring any other crazies running out of the stands wielding sharp implements I think we're ready to play tennis," said the announcer as the camera panned to Parker sitting on the sideline sipping from a bottle of water. What the camera didn't show was the turmoil happening inside her head.



Gray King stood up and glared into the booth cutting off any other smart comments the guy had in mind. She turned to Emily next and offered her some peanuts. "Try these, they taste a lot better than nails."



"I can't help it, I'm nervous for her."



"Trust me on this one, kiddo, she's nervous enough for the both of you. This is Park's year, Em, I can just feel it."



"Service, Miss King." Parker walked to the base line and waited for the balls to be thrown to her. She took a deep breath and let it out with a slump in her shoulders in an effort to relax.



Gary and Nick held their breath as she threw it into the air in preparation in sending it over the net. This serve would be an indication of the power Parker still had left considering she now had two healing cuts on her torso. She must have used every meditative tool she had learned in her short life because both men swore they saw pieces of fuzz come off the ball when it made contact with her racket.



"Fifteen, love." The chair pointed toward Parker's side of the net and waited for the next serve to come over the net. The players had to wait for a couple of minutes until the crowd calmed down. As much as they appreciated Lee for her struggle to get to the final, now that the match was being played their loyalties were firmly ensconced on Parker's side of the net.



The third game of the first set was being battled out when Logan returned to his seat. He had removed his jacket and looked like every other fan there to enjoy the tennis. After loading Mr. King up into a police cruiser, he had placed uniformed officers around the stands to keep on eye on any other problem fan.



"How's she doing?" he asked.



"She won the fist game and came close to breaking in the second, but Lee hung on." Emily stopped talking as soon as Parker put the ball back in play. She stood on the baseline and sent Lee for quick sprints around the court with her ball placement.



"Forty, love." Again the chair pointed toward Parker's side of the net. That service was followed by an ace winning the game. The first set was finished in less than fifty minutes and Parker looked good to the people watching that loved her. Gary studied her face for any signs of weakness or pain but had been surprised to just see Parker's usual game face.



It happened in the third game of the second set. Parker had won the first two and Lee was starting to get fatigued from the running and from the heat. In a desperate chase to get a ball Parker had sent in a direction she wasn't expecting, Lee hit back a high lob. When Parker reached up to smash it over the net she almost could hear the stitches popping and the pain was instant. The ball fell inside the baseline as a point for Lee followed by Parker's racket.



"Miss Parker?" The sideline judge asked when she grimaced when bending to pick up her racket.



"I'm ok."



"Thirty, fifteen," was the score announced giving Parker the advantage but now Lee had found her weakness.



The lobs began with more frequency and Parker was having more and more difficulty getting the ball to go over the net no matter what angle she hit them from losing her the second set quicker than Lee had lost the first.



They were tied at six games apiece in the third when Parker finally had to call time. The constant stretches had taken their toll and the bandage could no longer hold back the blood. The only good thing about the whole situation was the medic who had put the stitches in was waiting for her just inside the tunnel like she had asked. Parker stripped her shirt off and grimaced from just that movement.



"Fix it so it'll last through at least ten more serves."



"Miss King.."



"Call me Parker, and I don't want to hear about how bad it looks, fix it. You have thirteen minutes before I have to forfeit the game."



The man got to work, admiring how Parker just sat in the tunnel not flinching no matter what he did. Before putting another pressure bandage he sprayed the area with a massive amount of deadening agent. It wouldn't last long but it might give just enough relief for Parker to go after some of the cheap shots Lee had sent her way. The medic figured one more lob and the Texan should fear for her life from the crowd.



"Miss King, are you ready to resume play?"



"Yes, sir." The man in the chair adjusted the microphone back into place and signaled the time out period was over.



"Tie break for the match, Miss King will serve first."



Parker looked up into the stands and looked for Emily before she made any move to serve. The blonde stood up making herself easier to find and smiled when their eyes met. Emily put her hands over her heart and nodded her head getting Parker to smile as well. Parker tapped over her own heart with her fingertips and swore she heard a collective sigh come out of the crowd.



The first serve went over the net and Parker was surprised how pain free her side was all of a sudden. Lee hit a backhand and the volley began. It was hard-hitting and fairly straightforward back and forth without a lot of flare for about twelve strokes. At her first opportunity, Lee sent a high lob over the net. Parker gauged it and stood waiting for the right moment.



"Point, Miss King." Parker had sent it over the net almost directly at Lee Darnell. If the kid was going to win it would be playing tennis, not by way of playing to Parker's injuries.



For fifteen minutes the audience in attendance and at home got the kind of tennis they had come for as both women battled for dominance. The trophy and title was just a shot away.



"Advantage, Miss King, match point." Parker had waited a lifetime to hear that one line. The crowd was just as pumped, standing and starting their chant of 'Kong.' Before them was a true champion who had clawed her way back into the game. There was blood on her shirt, she was covered in sweat and up in the stands Emily provided the tears.



"Quiet please."



Parker set and let one fly over the net sending Lee scrambling to try and get it. Her one salvation was the line sensor went off and the ball was called out. All Lee had to do now was jump all over the second more traditionally slower serve and bring the game back to deuce.



"Out," yelled the line judge followed by, "second serve," from the chair.



The only thought in Parker's mind before she served again was that it was time to go home. She could hear the waves hitting the pilings under her court at home and longed for an afternoon game that didn't have so much riding on the outcome.



"Quiet please."



There was no one more shocked than Lee Darnell when the second serve flew passed her faster than the first one did. She almost wanted to say she wasn't ready and wanted to play the point again, but it was too late, it was Parker's year to deliver the slam.