The judges decided to give Miguel time to rest up and see if he was able to fight again. While everyone waited, they went on with the semi-finals fights. Tory fought and won her match against the last girl from Topanga and Demetri had just lost his fight against Robby. Molly nervously looked up at the scoreboard and sighed at who she had to fight next.

"For our last semi-finals match, give it up for Molly Preston of Eagle Fang Karate versus Sam LaRusso fighting for Miyagi-Do Karate!" Daryl screamed and Molly hopped onto the mat at the same time as Sam.

The two girls walked together to the middle at got in their positions, Sam having her back to Miyagi-Do while Molly stood across from her, her back to Cobra Kai.

Molly smirked at her friend, her head tilting a bit. "No hard feelings if I win?" She asked and Sam cracked her neck, digging her feet further into the mat as she smirked back.

"Just as long as there's none when I win." Sam shot back as the referee walked towards them. Just before he could start the fight, Sam's face turned serious, giving Molly a single nod.

"Give it your all." Sam said and Molly returned the gesture, holding up her fists. "You too."

Then, the fight started. Molly ran towards Sam, instantly kicking her in the stomach. Sam stumbled back, her eyes wide. "Point! Preston!"

The two girls got back into their positions and when the next round started, Sam ran towards Molly, throwing punch after punch to her. As Molly was blocking her punches, Sam grabbed Molly's wrist pulling it.

Molly stumbled forward and fell right into Sam's kick. "Point! LaRusso!"

Molly exhaled, readjusting her gi as she smirked at Sam. The two of them walked back into center and into positions.

"Fight!" The referee yelled and Molly made the first move of going towards Sam. The two went back and forth throwing punches at each other until Molly got down on the floor and swept Sam's feet.

When Sam's back hit the floor, Molly shot up and kicked Sam in the stomach. "Point! Preston!" The referee yelled as Molly stuck her arm out to help Sam up. Sam grabbed her hand and groaned as Molly pulled her up. The two quietly went back to their spots as the referee walked up to them.

"Fight!" He screamed and Sam ran towards Molly. Molly saw Sam's punch coming and grabbed Sam's fist before it could hit her chest. Just as she was about to strike Sam in the gut and get her final point, she felt her own stomach lurch in pain.

"Point! LaRusso!" The referee yelled and Sam smiled. They were at a tie. Final point wins.

Molly took slow strides towards center stage and once she got there, she got into position, digging the balls of her feet into the foam on the mat. She took a deep breath, trying to make sure she had complete focus for this final round.

"Fight!"

Sam ran for Molly and Molly blocked all of Sam's punches. She even pushed Sam back hard enough to make her stumble back.

Molly went to kick Sam's side but Sam caught Molly's leg. She went to pull it in hopes it would knock Molly to the ground but when she did, Molly jumped, wrapping her other leg around Sam, bringing them both to the ground; Sam landed on her back and Molly straddled on top of her.

Molly smirked, glad the move she used at the last All Valley against Robby still worked. Molly raised her fist, striking Sam in the stomach.

"Winner! Preston!" The ref screamed as Molly got off of Sam. She smiled as the referee grabbed her hand and raised it in victory.

When the referee dropped her hand, Molly looked down at Sam, holding her hand out to help her up. When Sam was standing, she immediately pulled Molly into a hug. "Good job, Molls." She muttered and Molly smiled, hugging Sam back tightly.

"Molly Preston is going to the finals!"

...

"Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do are neck-and-neck on the leaderboard. But there's a dark horse... Or should I say a dark bird that still has a chance." Daryl said before pointing at the jumbotron behind him, a countdown clock appearing. "Miguel Diaz has one minute to return to the mat!"

Molly glared at he countdown, crossing her arms over her chest. "Countdown clock? Kind of dramatic, isn't it?" Molly muttered and from next to her, Mitch smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah, it's the All Valley."

Molly sighed, not wanting Miguel to feel pressured into competing. She turned to the hallway door Miguel would be walking out of if he decided to compete and soon enough, the audience started to countdown from 10.

A loud buzzer rang through the air once the timer hit "one" and Molly actually felt relieved knowing Miguel wasn't competing. After watching him try to do that kick, Molly had been on edge.

"Well, it looks like Miguel Diaz is not gonna fight." Daryl announced, lifting up one finger and pointing at Eli with the Miyagi-Do's. "Which means that the winner by default is Eli Moskowitz, who advances to the final where he will face Robby Keene."

The audience roared for the finalists, making Daryl smirk. "The finals are up next."

Molly was standing on the edge of the Eagle Fangs while to her left, Demetri stood on the edge of the Miyagi-Dos so they could talk to each other during the tournament.

Demetri snickered and leaned toward Mollys ear. "Your exes are about to compete, you ready?" He asked teasingly, his smile so wide, his face was starting to hurt.

Molly scoffed, only making Demetri smile more. "Really? You're not even gonna ask if I'm ready to fight?" Molly asked, turning to face Demetri. He shook his head before he turned to look at her and smiled.

"No. I like torturing you." Demetri hummed and Molly squinted at him, giving him a fake glare.

"Ha ha." She muttered sarcastically, turning back to the mat. Demetri watched Molly for a couple seconds. His eyes moved down and he sighed when he saw Molly's hands shaking at her sides.

"Hey." He said, his voice softer and no longer joking. Molly turned to face him and her eyebrows raised when she saw the small smile on his face.

"You're gonna kill it out there."

Molly smiled at his words, her body feeling a little lighter after his words of encouragement. "Thanks." She said, her words slipping out through her smile.

Her eyes moved just behind Demetri and to Eli, who was walking over with a nervous smile on his face.

"You got one more fight left. It's gonna be a gnarly one." Eli said, joining in on Molly and Demetri's conversation. Molly sighed, looking off to Cobra Kai until her eyes landed on Tory.

Molly felt that same heart-clenching fear build up in her chest as she thought about having to fight Tory. Her ribs started to ache and her wrist felt like pins and needles just thinking about the laser tag fight.

When Tory turned to face Molly, they only locked eyes for a second before Molly turned away, looking back to Eli. "Tell me about it. The last time I fought Tory, I wound up in the hospital."

Demetri side-stepped away, deciding to give the two of them some one on one time. Neither Eli or Molly noticed as Eli took a small step towards her, shaking his head.

"That won't happen again." Eli said and Molly was shaking her head before he could even finish his sentence. Her face scrunched and she looked to the referee standing on the edge of the mat. "I don't know... Have you seen some of the calls this ref is making? It's complete bullshit."

Without even looking away from Molly's face, Eli reached out and grabbed both of her hands with his own. Molly turned to face him, a nervous feeling still sprinkling in her stomach but it was now because of Eli instead of the fight.

He smiled at her, a small one that almost looked like it was pointing downward. "Yeah, but you've got this."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is finally over. It's finals time!" Daryl yelled, making Eli and Molly jump apart from each other in shock. Eli sighed, looking to Molly. "Guess it's up to us to take down Cobra Kai." He said and Molly scoffed out a laugh, turning to face Eli.

Even though Molly was hiding it pretty well, Eli could see how fast Molly was blinking and how she nervously chewed on her lip so she didn't bite her nails.

Eli knew she was nervous and just in before he could say something to reassure her, Daniel started to push him toward the mat. Eli looked back at Molly as he walked toward it, sending her a small smile. "Good luck, Molly." He said and he smiled when he saw Molly calm.

She smiled back at him, making his stomach twist. "Good luck, Eli."

"Since Cobra Kai scored the most points, they only need to win one match to be crowned Grand Champion. But if Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang win both matches, well, then Cobra Kai's got a problem! Ooh, high drama!" Daryl chuckled into the mic.

As Daryl walked off the mat, Eli and Robby bowed to the referee, then each other before getting into position.

"Ready and fight!"

Neither moved for a few seconds, both of them just hopping on their feet until Robby went to kick Eli in the stomach. Eli blocked it with his hand and went to return the kick but Robby grabbed his ankle, throwing it to the ground.

Robby ran at Eli, trying to throw as many punches to the face his way but Eli blocked them. While Eli was distracted blocking a punch to his face, Robby used his other hand to punch Eli in the stomach.

Molly groaned, bringing her thumb up to her mouth to bite her nail in stress. Robby jumped in excitement, clapping his hands together. "Let's go, baby!" He screamed and Eli quickly shook his head, turning to the referee and making a "T" shape with his hands.

"Time out." He said and Molly straightened up. Her eyes flickered to Robby and from behind him, she saw Silver laughing, raising his hands in the air.

Eli talked to Daniel for a couple seconds and when he walked back toward the fight, Molly noticed a new set of confidence in Eli.

"Fight!"

This time, Eli made the first move running towards Robby. The two boys went back and forth for a while before they both ran at each other, jumped and raised their legs to kick the other. Eli's foot hit Robby's stomach first, knocking Robby to the ground on his back, Eli falling on his side a few seconds after.

Molly clapped to herself, not wanting to get too excited incase the fight went South. "Point, Miyagi-Do!" The referee announced as Eli and Robby got back into their positions.

"Fight!" The referee yelled and Eli ran towards Robby, jumping and spinning in the air, trying to kick Robby in the chest. Robby grabbed Eli's leg and pulled it, sending Eli straight to the floor.

Molly's eyes shut as she winced, but Eli quickly got off the ground before Robby could punch him and kicked Robby, the two falling to the ground.

"No point. Blocked. Continue."

Robby ran for Eli, grabbed his forearms and jumped backwards, sending them both to the ground.

Molly winced from how hard the two hit the ground and she could hear Mitch cringe from beside her, hiding his face in her shoulder.

Eli and Robby pushed away from each other, shooting off the ground. Eli ran for Robby, throwing punches back to back until they were right up against each other. Eli tried to kick Robby's stomach but Robby pushed him back. As Eli stumbled, Robby raised his leg and kicked him.

"No point. Continue." The referee yelled and Molly let out a small breath of relief.

Eli lunged, aiming a kick at Robby's gut. Robby sprang back up, the tie of his gi slipping looser and finally unraveling from the fight.

Eli grabbed the open seam of Robby's gi and pulled, but it only made himself crash into Robby's chest. Robby grabbed Eli's shoulders from behind. Before he could gain an advantage, Eli ducked, gripping Robby and flipping him over his shoulder. Robby landed on the mat and Eli raised his fist, ready to get a point—but just as he moved, the timer buzzed.

Molly gasped, her wide eyes darting to the jumbotron, where "00:00" blinked in bold digits. She looked back to Eli and Robby as Daryl stepped on stage.

"Unbelievable! These two incredible competitors have reached the three-minute time limit in a 1-1 tie!" Daryl announced and Molly's eyebrows scrunched. She never heard of this happening before. She turned to her right, mouthing a small "what?" to Mitch.

"For the first time since 1985, this championship match will be decided by sudden-death overtime!"

As Daryl stepped away, the referee waved Robby and Eli away. "Go to your sensei's." The referee said and Molly looked up at Johnny, her eyebrows raised. "You okay, Sensei?" She asked, noticing his eyes had been glued on Robby almost the entire tournament.

Johnny sighed, but his gaze didn't move. "I'm fine, Preston."

Even though she didn't believe him, Molly nodded and turned back towards the fight right as Hawk and Robby started walking towards the center.

Suddenly, Robby stopped walking and ripped off the top part of his gi.

"What?" Molly whispered under her breath. Eli turned to the referee, the man looking just as confused as him and shrugged. Eli turned back to Robby, watching him throw his gi to Tory in the sidelines.

Hawk smirked at that.

In seconds, he untied his gi and turned around. His eyes landed on Molly and Hawk didn't even need to check to know that Robby was glaring at him. Hawk's smirk just grew and he tossed her the gi as he winked.

Molly tried her hardest to hide the smile on her face, but anyone with eyes could see how close it was to breaking out. Her eyes widened once Eli turned back to Robby. She turned to her left–where Demetri was supposed to be. Demetri let out a laugh, his hands on his stomach as he leaned back, making himself laugh harder at Molly's reaction.

Molly whipped Demetri with the gi, making him yelp and immediately stop laughing. He glared at the girl, his hand rubbing down where the cloth had just burned him. Molly smiled tauntingly and turned back to the fight just, throwing Eli's gi over her shoulders but not putting her arms through.

Robby jumped higher than Molly has ever seen someone jump. He raised his foot, aiming for Eli's face but the boy jumped back, Robby barely missing his face.

As soon as he landed, Robby went to kick Eli again, his foot landed just above Eli's knee and he pushed himself up, doing a backflip. Eli started to fall from the pressure in his knee. When his back hit the ground, he pushed up, shooting off the ground and landing back in his fighting stance.

Eli ran towards Robby, who was still kneeled after landing his flip. Eli jumped on Robby, wrapping one leg around and over Robby's shoulder as the other went under Robby's arm. As he started to fall, Robby twisted around so he would land on top of Eli.

Robby raised his hand to punch Eli in the stomach, but Robby froze, his eyes on his team. Noticing he was distracted, Eli kicked Robby's shoulder, making him roll and fall away from him.

Eli sent a kick towards Robby's side. Robby grabbed his foot, raised his own elbow and jabbed it into Eli's inner knee. Eli groaned in pain as Robby let go of him.

Molly gasped, her hands going to cover her mouth as the referee shook his head, raising his hands in the air. "No point!"

Eli had a limp as he ran towards Robby. He raised his leg to kick Robby but he grabbed Eli's leg. Eli wrapped his arm around Robby's shoulders and jumped back, both of them falling to the ground. As soon as he hit the ground, Eli raised his leg and slammed it down on Robby's chest.

"Point! Winner!" The referee shouted.

Molly screamed as Miyagi-Do erupted into cheers. The team ran to Eli, their excitement matching his as he turned to them with his arms wide open. They all jumped into a massive group hug, and when they all pulled away, Eli's gaze moved to the sidelines, locking onto Molly.

Without hesitation, he broke into a sprint toward her, his grin wider than she'd ever seen. Before she could fully process it, Eli leaped into her arms. Molly stumbled back a step, laughing as she caught him, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist as hers went over his shoulders.

"Oh my God! You did it!" She giggled, not caring that the hug was practically squeezing the breath out of her.

Eli pulled back just enough to look at her, though their arms stayed around each other. His smile softened as their eyes met, and his heart flipped at the closeness between them.

All he wanted to do was kiss her.

Molly felt a giddy buzz rise in her chest, her fingers tingling. Her hands hesitated for a moment, wanting to slide them from his shoulders up to his neck.

All she wanted to do was kiss him.

But her eyes flickered past Eli and to the center of the mat. She watched the referee walk toward Miyagi-Do, trophy his hand.

"Go! Go get your trophy!" Molly cheered, not realizing that Eli was leaning in as she slapped his shoulders.

Eli blinked, dazed before glancing over his shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw the referee standing at the center of the stage, waiting for him.

"Shit! Right!" He muttered, pulling away from Molly and sprinting back onto the stage.

"Your boys' champion, Eli Moskowitz!" Daryl's voice boomed on the mic. Meeting the referee in the middle, Eli took the trophy. His eyes glistened as he stared down at it, a smile slowly spreading across his face. He turned towards the audience and raised the trophy in the air, screaming in victory.

...

"What better way to cap off this exciting exhibition of karate than with a final match for the ages?"

The crowd cheered at Daryls words, making him laugh. He turned to Cobra Kai, pointing towards Tory. "Representing Cobra Kai, the Queen Cobra herself, Tory Nichols! Coached by her sensei's John Kreese and Terry Silver."

Daryl turned to Eagle Fang, pointing at Molly. "And representing Eagle Fang Karate, Molly Preston! Coached by two-time All Valley champion Johnny Lawrence!" Daryl yelled and Molly took a deep breath.

"All right. Ready to kick some ass?" Johnny asked and Molly smiled, holding her head higher. "Hell yeah, Sensei."

Johnny snickered, nodding his head as a proud smile started growing on his face. He pointed at Molly, glad she wasn't stressing herself too much for this last fight. "Atta girl." He put his hand on her shoulder and leaned a little closer to her. "And hey, I want you to win more than anyone. Whether it's defense or offense, Miyagi-Do or Eagle Fang. Whatever gets thrown at you, fight however you need to."

Molly's face softened as she looked up at the man. She knew how much Johnny hated that she went to Miyagi-Do and she knew this was a big thing for him to say.

Johnny didn't notice Molly's demeanor change and pointed down at her hands as he chuckled. "Just make sure you use those fists. You've got one hell of a punc..."

Johnny's words slowed when Molly leaned forward and pulled him into a hug. Johnny was startled at first but hugged back nonetheless.

When Molly pulled away, she cleared her throat and ran her hands over her gi to get rid of wrinkles. "S-Sorry. You were saying?" Molly asked, nervously looking up at Johnny.

Johnny chuckled, shaking his head at the girl. "Go kick some Cobra Kai ass." He said before the ref blew his whistle. "Competitors!" He yelled, calling Molly and Tory onto stage. Molly sent Johnny one more nod, silently telling him she's got this before she started walking towards the center of the stage.

Molly stared at Tory across the mat, her heart pounding as the memory of their last fight rushed back. She gulped, her fists tightening at her sides as she forced herself to push the fear aside. Her team needed her to win.

The two girls bowed to the referee, each other, and then the fight started.

Molly stared at Tory across the mat, her heart pounding as the memory of their last fight rushed back. She gulped, her fists tightening at her sides as she forced herself to push the fear aside. Her team needed her to win.

Molly ran for Tory, going to kick her side but Tory blocked it. She stumbled slightly but caught herself before she hit the ground. Tory stuck her leg out, going to sweep Molly's legs but Molly jumped over Tory's legs and spun, raising her foot higher and kicking Tory in the face.

"Point!" The ref yelled and she could hear Johnny clap. "Yes!" He screamed as Tory groaned.

"Preston. Score, one-zero."

Tory turned around and headed to Kreese and Silver while Molly stayed in her spot on stage; she didn't need to talk to Johnny and she couldn't let her guard down—not against Tory.

Tory came back and got into her fighting stance not long after and the referee started the fight.

Tory was a lot more aggressive, but Molly still blocked everything and went to kick Tory in the stomach. Tory beat her to the punch, hitting Molly in the gut.

Molly groaned, leaning forward as her hands moved to her stomach. The referee raised his hand closer to Tory. "Point, Nichols! Score, one-one."

Molly shook off the pain, straightening back up and walking to the center of the stage. Her eyes moved to Johnny. He had a determined smirk on his face as he nodded. Molly's shoulders straightened, and she slowly started to smirk back.

She nodded to Johnny before getting into position.

"Ready? Fight!"

Tory ran for Molly, sending punch after punch. Molly gritted her teeth, blocking all of Tory's hits before pushing her back. Tory stumbled backwards slightly as Molly spun around, raising her leg and sending a flying tornado kick right into Tory's chest.

"Point! Two-one, Preston." The referee yelled and Molly stared at Tory in shock. A small laughed left her lips at the shocked faces of Cobra Kai and Johnny screaming from behind her.

"Holy shit, that actually worked." Molly breathed out. Tory huffed in shock, fixing her gi and getting into her fighting stance, Molly doing the same right after.

"Ready? Fight!" The referee yelled.

Molly ran towards Tory. Tory backed up at the girl coming towards her, blocking all of her punches and she even tried to get in a few herself but Molly dodged everything.

Molly punched Tory and she stumbled back, her foot stepping out of bounds after Molly punched her.

Molly gasped, her eyes wide and a smile growing over the fact that she had won while Tory groaned in defeat.

"No point. Out of bounds." The referee called.

Molly's heart dropped. She whipped her head to the referee, her eyebrows furrowed as she blinked.

"What?" She asked as the crowd started to boo.

"Come on, Ref! She went out after she got hit!" Johnny yelled.

The referee turned to Johnny, shaking his head. Molly gulped, she and Tory walking back to the center of stage, Molly side eyeing the referee as she passed him. Was he blind? Molly hit Tory before she went out of bounds!

Molly's eyes were on the ground, trying to replay the last minute in her head to make sure she earned that point. She was so focused on the memory, she didn't even hear the referee call "fight!"

Tory immediately kicked Molly in the chest, Molly stumbling backwards, not ready for the kick.

"Point! Nichols!" The referee yelled and Molly cursed, mad at herself for getting hit.

"Fuck!"

She got into her fighting stance, her moves now sluggish, anger at herself for getting distracted.

"Score's two to two. Next point wins. Ready?" The referee asked, looking between the two girls. Tory nodded while Molly didn't respond, angry with the man as she bit her inner cheek.

"Fight!"

Molly tried to pull everything together and calm herself down as she ran towards Tory. Molly raised her foot, going to kick Tory in the stomach but Tory grabbed her ankle and pushed it away. Tory yelled as she went to punch Molly but Molly raised her hand, blocking it.

Molly kicked Tory to the ground. Just as she was about to punch the girl in the stomach to win the fight, Tory rolled away. When Tory propped herself up in a crawling position, Molly jumped towards her, wrapping her leg and arm around her, flipping them over so Molly would be pinning Tory to the ground.

Molly raised her leg and in the midst of slamming it down against Tory, the Nichols girl tried to break free from Molly's grip, her elbow hitting Molly right in the eye.

Molly screamed in pain, letting go of Tory. The referee raised his hands.

"Warning. Injury to the face!"

Johnny scoffed from the sidelines. "Warning? Should be a point deduction!" Johnny yelled as Tory started to get up, her eyes softening when she saw Molly covering her eye, her open one watering.

Molly looked up at Tory, her face hardening as she pushed herself off the ground. The fear that had been just barely sizzling at the pit of her stomach immediately turned into anger.

"What? You haven't scarred up my face enough?" Molly spat, getting in Tory's face just enough to make the blonde take a step back but not enough for Molly to get in trouble with the referee.

Mollys vision was blurry from the pain and the tears in her eyes and she didn't notice Tory shaking her head rapidly, her eyes following Molly with a desperate look in them.

"No, Molly–" "Go to your senseis." The referee cut off, pointing at either side of the mat.

Molly ignored Tory and walked right towards her team. She made a beeline towards Johnny, but all of Eagle Fang crowded together to check on Molly.

"Are you all right, kid?" Johnny asked and Molly looked up to the ceiling, trying to blink away the tears. After a couple seconds, she sighed, turning back to her sensei and nodding. "I mean... I can see but it hurts like hell."

Molly went to touch her eye and immediately hissed. Johnny grabbed Molly's wrist and pulled it down as the girl frowned. "She got me good, but I can still fight."

Johnny smiled at that. "You got this." He said, the rest of Eagle Fang nodding beside him. Molly looked at her team and smiled. She turned around and started walking back to center stage, the audience cheering. Tory turned from her senseis, meeting Molly in the middle.

"Ready?" The referee asked but Molly was too busy trying to stay in concentrated, knowing if she fell out of it, she'd feel the full burning pain in her right eye more than she already does. She squinted that eye as she got into her fighting stance.

"Fight!" The referee yelled and Tory ran towards Molly.

Molly kept her eyes trained on Tory's hands, blocking every move. Tory suddenly got onto the ground and Molly, thinking Tory was gonna try to sweep her legs, jumped up.

Only Tory didn't try to sweep her legs but she was going to kick Molly in the chest. Since she was in mid-air, Tory kicked Molly in the gut instead.

Molly fell out of her jump, falling to the ground and landing on her side. She groaned as the referee walked towards Tory, raising her hand in the air. "Winner!"

Molly's heart pounded in her chest as she laid on the mat, unable to move from the panic starting to rise in her chest.

Tory ran towards Molly, her eyes wide and filled with concern. "Molls, are all right?" Tory asked, kneeling down to Molly's height, but Molly barely heard it. Kyler, Kenny and the rest of Cobra Kai ran towards Tory, pulling her away from Molly and into a group hug.

"And the winner of the Grand Champion trophy and still the baddest dojo in the Valley, Cobra Kai!" Daryl called out.

The noise faded into a hum and Molly's vision narrowed until all she could focus on was the ceiling spinning above her. Her breathing quickened, her chest tightened, and she knew she had to get out. Or at least off the mat.

She pushed herself off the ground, ignoring the ache in her body, and ran for the exit. Molly hardly noticed Johnny, who started to ask if she was okay as she sped by, too desperate to get out to even register his voice. The world around her blurred, her legs moving on autopilot until she reached an empty hallway.

Her vision darkened around the edges, and her hands tingled as if they weren't her own. Stumbling, she collapsed against the wall, sliding down until she sat with her knees pulled to her chest. She clenched a fist and pressed it against her heart, the way Eli used to help her focus when she couldn't breathe.

But it wasn't working. Why wasn't it working? Eli always helped. Why couldn't she help herself?

She couldn't do anything. She couldn't beat Tory, she couldn't win the All Valley, she couldn't stop Cobra Kai, and she couldn't stop her stupid panic attack.

Tears burned in her eyes as her fist trembled against her heart. She buried her head in her knees, and her breathing came in gasps, her chest rising and falling as if she couldn't get enough air.

Then, she felt arms wrapping around her, pulling her their side. Molly didn't even hear the footsteps approaching, but now someone was there.

She couldn't stop crying, her breath uneven and each one making her feel more lightheaded. But the arms around her didn't loosen, and slowly, she realized it was Eli.

He turned Molly gently, his eyes searching hers as he spoke. "It's okay. Just breathe with me, Molly."

His voice was calming, and she focused on him, tried to match his breathing, but the gasps still came, making her feel dizzy. Eli rubbed slow circles on her back until, little by little, her breathing slowed. The tears still flowed, but the weight on her chest started to lift.

After what felt like forever, she finally spoke, her voice shaky. "I blew it."

Eli's grip tightened around her. "You didn't blow anything, Molly. You fought like hell. You've got nothing to be ashamed of."

She closed her eyes, leaning into him to let her breathing steady. She could hear the muffled sounds of the cheering behind them, but for now, it was just the two of them.

Eventually, Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang found them, Eli's trophy in Demetri's hands. They had huge smiles on their faces until they saw Molly.

"We're sorry, Molly. We all think you should've won." Demetri said and Chris smiled softly from beside him. "But hey, we should go celebrate Eli's win, right?"

Eli opened his mouth, ready to refuse. There was no way they thought that was a good idea. It would be like rubbing his victory in her face.

But before he could decline, Molly beat him to it.

"Yeah."

Eli turned to her, his eyebrows creased, silently asking if she was sure. Molly's smile widened, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Let's go celebrate you." She whispered.

Eli looked at her for a couple seconds, making sure she was sure about her choice. After not being able to find any doubt in her face, Eli turned back to their friends and nodded.

He got up first and stood in front of Molly. He held both of his hands out for her so he could help her up, which made Molly not only smile, but feel a shit ton of butterflies.

The two teams walked out of the arena and even though they didn't win the entire competition, they were excited to celebrate Eli.

...

The loud music shook through Eli's home with the laughter and voices of Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang. It was just the two teams, everyone there except Miguel, who went completely MIA after the All Valley.

Hawk was able to get alcohol for everyone because of his fake and at first, Molly drank with her friends to celebrate his win. The whole group did a round of shots and then Molly played beer pong with Eli, Mitch, and Chris, which got her pretty tipsy.

But the more she drank, the more she got into her head about her loss. Because of her, they would all have to quit karate and Cobra Kai gets to stay.

"Champion! Champion!" Molly watched from the couch, her heart sinking even as she forced a smile at all of the boys crowding around Hawk as he won his game of beer pong. Now, not only had he won the All Valley, but he's won that too.

It made Molly feel like shit.

She thought about back to their break up. Hawk said he needed to see if he was better off without her and here he was, basking in his victory, celebrating with all of these friends he didn't have when they were dating. Molly couldn't help but think that maybe he was better off without her. Look at him.

Molly suddenly hated being around everyone and the loud noises. She needed air, space to breathe and think without the noise and voice in her head that wouldn't shut up.

She whispered to Sam that she would be out front before she quietly opened the door and closed it behind her.

The night was warm, and the sky was dotted with stars. Molly stumbled off the porch and out to the front lawn, her head spinning slightly from the alcohol as she flopped onto the grass. The distant hum of music and voices from inside felt far away as she gazed up at the stars, trying to quiet her thoughts.

The stars always calmed her down.

But then Molly heard someone walk out. She heard the music get louder from the open door before it muffled again once it closed. She didn't need to look over to know who had followed her.

She heard the crunch of grass under his feet before she felt him lay down beside her without a word.

It was comfortable, but Molly could stop the thoughts she had inside. It was practically eating her alive. They stayed like that for a while before Molly spoke, her voice soft and a little slurred.

"Are you better off?"

Eli blinked, confused, turning his head slightly to glance at her. "What?" He asked but Molly kept her eyes on the stars.

"Are you better off without me?" She asked a little louder.

Hawk's stomach twisted, but before he could respond, she was talking again.

"You broke up with me to see if you were better off without me. So..." Her voice cracked, and she took a shaky breath. "Are you?"

"Molly..." Hawk tried to stop her, but she kept going, her words tumbling out in a drunken haze.

"Do you know how horrible it felt? To think I wasn't enough for you? That you needed to figure out if your life was better without me in it?" She sat up, looking down at Hawk as her eyes started to tear up. "Do you have any idea what that does to somebody?"

Hawk sat up too, trying to interrupt. "Molly, please—"

But she wasn't listening. Her hands gesturing wildly as the emotions she'd been bottling up finally spilled over. "I kept wondering what was wrong with me! What I did to make you decide that you'd be better off alone! I got in my head and I started to fake date a guy I hardly knew to make you jealous!"

Hawks entire face fell at Molly's words. He leaned back, shaking his head in confusion. "Wait, you were faking dating Robby?" He asked, but Molly was so caught up in her head, she didn't hear him.

"And now... we're here, and I'm still wondering if you ever figured it out! And I jus—"

"Molly, stop!"

She froze, startled by Hawk's yell. Her wide eyes met his as Eli's chest heaved. When he spoke again, his voice was raw. "I was horrible without you."

Molly let out a small breath, her shoulders relaxing as he continued. "The only reason I'm still in karate is because you came to my house and cheered me up. I only won because you told me I didn't need the stupid mohawk to have confidence."

Molly blinked, taken aback. She hadn't expected him to say that.

Hawk continued, moving to sit closer to Molly and grabbing her hands. "I've known that I needed you since the second we broke up. I was just too scared to take it all back."

Her heart pounded in her chest, her pulse quickened out of a mix confusion, anger, and the alcohol buzzing in her veins.

She ripped her hands out of Eli's grasp and shot up to her feet, standing over him. "What do you mean you've always known? Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say something?"

Hawk groaned, standing up after her. "I thought you knew! Then you got with Robby, and even then, I thought you knew I wanted you back!" He covered his face with his hands, pacing for a second before turning back to her, his voice rising. "I mean... I made it so fucking obvious, Molly!"

Molly shook her head; she couldn't do this again. She was tired, angry, and sad. She turned on her heel, ready to storm off, and Hawk froze, his chest tightening.

He couldn't let her leave like this.

Not again.

Not after everything they'd just said.

Without thinking, he grabbed her hand, yanking her back toward him. Molly stumbled, their bodies colliding, and for a second, the world seemed to stop as their chests pressed together. Their faces were just inches apart.

He heard a soft gasp escape Molly's lips as his other hand slid to the back of her head, cradling it gently.

And then he kissed her.

It wasn't soft or careful—it was desperate, and filled with everything he had been holding back for so long.

Eli's hands found her waist, pulling her against him, and Molly melted into him, a familiar warmth spreading through her chest. Her hands clutching his shirt as their lips moved together.

Molly pushed herself forward, deepening the kiss as she snaked her arms around Eli's shoulders. She could feel Eli smile as her fingers ran across his short buzzcut.

When they finally broke apart, breathless, Hawk rested his forehead against hers. "I'm not better off without you." He whispered, his voice barely audible. "I never was."

Then, Hawk leaned in again, his lips crashing into hers for another kiss—this one softer. It was as if he was pouring everything he couldn't say into that kiss, and Molly's arms wrapped tighter around him, pulling him even closer.

emily speaks...
and so i died
that last scene actually kills me every time i reread it

i've been having that moli kiss ready SINCE THE BREAKUP
GUYS THEYRE BACKKKKKK

AND WE ARE OFFICIALLY ONTO SEASON 5
whats gonna happen now🤔👀?